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African American History
Africans During Spanish and British Rule: 1513 - 1821
Peoples of African descent have been an integral part of Florida’s history since the first
European explorers visited the area. Free Africans were crew members – often vital ones – who
assisted early explorers like Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and Hernando de Soto.Peoples of African descent have been a part of Florida’s history since the initial discovery of the lands referred to by the Spanish as La Florida. Free Africans were among the crews of the first European explorers to reach this area. Two individuals of African descent, Juan Gárrido and Juan González de Léon, accompanied Juan Ponce de Léon when he “discovered” the North American continent in 1513. The expeditions of other explorers such as Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón, Pánfilo de Narváez, and Hernando de Soto included unknown numbers of Africans, both free and enslaved (Landers 2000:19; Rivers 2000:3; Landers 2013:180-181). While many of these expeditions proved disastrous for their leaders, numerous persons of African descent escaped during the first
half of the 1500s, learned native customs and languages, and remained in Florida for years (Rivers
2000:1-2; Landers 2000, 2013). Many of those Africans who stayed in Florida would meet later explorers. In some cases, they even returned to living among the Spanish. In several locations, these early
populations of free Africans would eventually give rise to self-governing groups such as the free
Black militias that formed in the late-1600s. Service in these militias allowed free Blacks to acquire titles, own property, and earn military privileges (Landers 2013:183). Throughout the late- 1600s and early 1700s enslaved Africans from nearby locations continued to seek sanctuary in St. Augustine, which would grant it if one converted to Catholicism. A large number of runaway slaves were granted sanctuary and eventually received a town unto their own in 1738. Located just two miles north of St. Augustine (Figure 2.3), this new town was named Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mosé. The town was abandoned for more than a decade
following the attack by British forces from Georgia in 1740. Eventually, the town was fortified and reoccupied until Spain lost Florida to the British in 1763 (Landers 1995; Deagan and MacMahon1995), which coincided with the end of the First Spanish Period in Florida (1513-1763).Although slavery remained a feature of the First Spanish Period, people of African descent had many paths towards freedom, including purchasing their way out of slavery. Within several years, Africans became the largest segment of Florida’s population (Schafer 1995; Landers 2013).The beginning of the American Revolution (1775) exacerbated this trend and Loyalists flooded into East Florida (Figure 2.4). Under British rule White Floridians restricted the movement of both enslaved and free Blacks, adopted Slave Codes similar to those in South Carolina, and increasingly subjected slaves to inhumane treatment (Landers 2013:186-187). After the Revolution, British Loyalists fled Florida and the Second Spanish Period commenced(1783-1821). Enslaved Blacks once again sought sanctuary in Florida, and the population of free Blacks continued to grow. They worked for the Spanish government as laborers, guards, and skilled craftsmen. While laws in the newly formed United States of America forbade Africans from
competing with Whites, no such laws existed in Spanish Florida. Free Blacks could own land and operate businesses of their choosing.
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Lizzie Hogan, circa 1930, Deaconess of African American Baptist Church at 757 6th Street, Cedar Key,
History of Cedar Key’s African American Community
THE CEDAR KEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY DHI report
Although their contributions have largely been forgotten, African Americans are central to the
history of Cedar Key. The destruction of Prospect Bluff in 1816 triggered a migration of maroons
from the panhandle to South Florida. This migration passed through areas of Levy County where
members may have settled prior to statehood. African Americans were also present on Atsena Otie
and across the Cedar Keys area from the 1840s onward. This includes enslaved and free workers.
According to the 1860 Slave Census, Levy County was home to 435 enslaved persons and 52 slave
owners. Most enslaved African Americans lived on small farms. The average owner had around 5
enslaved persons working on their property. Some had as few as one, while a handful had dozens.
During the Civil War Union troops in the vicinity of Cedar Key included members of the U.S.
Colored Troops Infantry.
The end of the Civil War brought an end to the US blockade. Cedar Key experienced rapid
economic growth during Reconstruction (1865-1877) when African Americans became a political
force in town. This included the election of town council members Arthur Simmons and John G.
Williams in 1873. A year later voters elected Williams as mayor, F. E. Miller as the town marshal,
and three Black aldermen (William Canty, Peter Hart, and Jeff McQueen). Ultimately, these wins
were short lived (Fishburn 1997). In the 1877 election there were no African Americans elected to
office, although a year later Charles Benson and Bully Wiley were both elected as Black members 32 of the town council.Cedar Key’s African American community continued into the 20th century. An African American
school was built with funds from the city. The Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, Bethlehem Methodist Episcopal (ME) Church, and African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church all served the community in the early 1900s. Of
course, segregation remained an aspect of life, and African Americans were even buried in a section of the town cemetery that was initially separate from White burials. African Americans held various jobs in Cedar Key during the 20th century. This includes working for the Fiber Factory, in public works, and at various
privately owned companies. African Americans lived in a portion of Cedar Key referred to as The Hill during this time. Residents of The Hill included the Island Hotel’s African American cook Catherine “Big Buster” Johnson and her husband Ivory Johnson, who supplied fish and oysters to many downtown hotels. Cedar Key’s African American community dwindled by the late 1900s. Earlier accounts incorrectly state the town’s Black community left following the 1923 Rosewood riot. Census records (Figure 2.12), city directories, property deeds, and death certificates all document a Black presence in the town until at least the 1940s. African Americans continued to vote in Cedar Key during this time as well. While prejudice may have played a role, hard economic times and other aspects likely played a central part in driving rural African Americans to relocate to urban centers across Florida. Today, although it remains a mostly White town, Cedar Key and
other rural areas across the state are home to growing minority populations.
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