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In 1686, amid the struggle for territory in colonial North America, the Spanish government proclaimed that escaped slaves would receive religious sanctuary in Florida. This announcement sparked a significant movement of enslaved Africans from the Carolinas seeking freedom. Notably, the first documented group of these fugitives arrived in St. Augustine in 1687.
The Spanish policy, which offered liberty in exchange for military service and conversion to Catholicism, played a dual role. It bolstered the economy of the Spanish colonies while undermining English colonial interests. By 1738, over 100 African fugitives had settled in St. Augustine, leading to the formation of a thriving community known as Fort Mose.