African Origins

African Origins. . Fort Mose (Moh-Say) was a multicultural community of people originally from West and Central Africa, along with some Native Americans. , Some of the residents of Mose, like Francisco Menéndez, fought in the 1715 Yamasee War against the English of Carolina. They later fled south to St. Augustine with their Indian allies, and some brought Yamasee wives. In St. Augustine the people of Mose also interacted with, and sometimes intermarried with members of the Timucua, Ybaja, Chiluque, Costas, Chaschis, and Chickasaw cultural groups. , In 1759, militiamen at Fort Mose identified themselves as four distinct African ethnic groups: Mandinga, Carabali, Congo, and Mina. Most spoke several languages, including English, Spanish, and Arabic. They also spoke Native American, as well as African languages. Some had lived in African cities, and many were skilled artisans, linguists, and farmers. , Mose residents had varied cultural and religious backgrounds. Some were Muslims, some were already Catholics, and some practiced local African religions. Mose’s leader, Francisco Menéndez, was a literate Mandinga. Many of the Mandigas were Muslims and they were noted for resisting enslavement in Africa and in the Americas. , Captions: , Above: Modern African horseman , Right: Mandinga woman, Senegal, 1850s , Courtesy of Special Collections, University of Virginia Library , Left: The King of Congo greets the Capuchin monks. , Above: Several sizes and shapes of glass trade beads were found at the Fort Mose excavation. Larger, faceted beads were possibly rosary beads.