Replica 1738 fort in St. Augustine honors first free Black settlement

Replica 1738 fort in St. Augustine honors first free Black settlement

“Viva Mose!” shouted the crowd of dignitaries, state park rangers and community members gathered at Fort Mose Historic State Park near St. Augustine on a sunny Friday in early May. The chant — translated as “Long live Fort Mose!” — celebrated the ribbon cutting of a newly constructed replica of a 1738 fort that holds a special place in America’s Black history. In 1738, the Spanish governor of Florida chartered the settlement of Fort Mose as a re…