The history of African Americans begins in St Augustine

[Rowdyboy]

http://historiccity.com/2014/staugustine/news/florida/history-african-americans-begins-st-augustine-42603

St Augustine holds a unique place in the history of African-Americans in North America as the location of the first legally sanctioned free African-American town in the nation; Kathy Catron, Director of Communication for the St Augustine Ponte Vedra Visitors and Convention Bureau, told Historic City News this morning. African-American heritage in the United States begins 450 years ago when blacks, both free and enslaved, were among the 800 colonists who established the St. Augustine settlement under the leadership of Spanish explorer Admiral Pedro Menendez de Aviles.

“From the time Spanish explorers stepped onto the shores of Florida, Africans had a place among the adventurous crew and among the earliest settlers,” Catron said. “St Augustine is celebrating African-American History month in February by telling the story of its role in history with a comprehensive exhibit called “Journey: 450 Years of the African- American Experience” along with a series of events.”

Journey: 450 Years of the African-American Experience tells the fascinating story of blacks who helped settle the nation with original documents and artifacts, interviews, photos, art and more. The Journey exhibition is designed for visitors interested in the full history of America and its beginnings, and comprises four themes: Genesis of the African-American Experience; Fortress of Freedom; Breaking the Chains; and Crossroads of Change.
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Among the fascinating and rarely seen artifacts in the Journey exhibit is the first known birth certificate of an African-American child, born in St. Augustine in 1595. A marriage certificate is also on display, a historic record that documents the earliest known marriage between two African-Americans in St. Augustine in 1598. The lunch counter of the local Woolworth’s, where four young people made history in a 1963 protest, is on display along with photos that tell the story of the “St. Augustine Four.” Perhaps the most compelling artifact is the arrest record and fingerprint card for Martin Luther King Jr., who was arrested in peaceful protest in 1964. St Augustine is the only Florida location in which Dr. King was arrested.

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Visiting St. Augustine was one of my better decisions

The place FEELS 450 years old. Has vibes like nowhere else I have been in the South.
I took the guided tour in the carriage, found it very valuable.
THIS was not mentioned, tho.

I wanna go back..there is so much more to see.

[Rowdyboy]

2. St Augustine is definitely on my "bucket list"

along with Savannah. The only reason I haven't been yet is that I'm only 3 hours from New Orleans.

The carriage tour looks cool....

[appalachiablue]

3. St. Augustine is charming. I only saw it for an afternoon and hope to return soon.

There's so much to do, visit and walk through the old town, see the Spanish architecture, the old fort. I find St. Augustine, New Orleans and Santa Fe some of the most lovely places to visit in the US because I like history, art, architecture, gardens and diverse cultures. Many Americans are unaware of the early history of the Americas before English domination in the North. The early influences in North American and the Caribbean of Native Americans, blacks, the Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Swedish and Danish in the Caribbean are not taught nearly enough.

[MADem]

5. Last time we were down there (a bit over a year ago) we did the "tour" of Flagler College.

Didn't have anyone applying there, it wasn't an academic tour, it was an historical one--I found it fascinating because it used to be an old hotel and the architecture is rather remarkable. We also saw a few other sights, but that was surprisingly interesting.