More Than a Footnote to History: Rediscovering the Maroon Community at Prospect Bluff

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Seeking Freedom in the Borderlands: Archaeological Perspectives on Maroon Societies in Florida" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The fort at Prospect Bluff was not only a post held by the British during the War of 1812 but also, and perhaps most importantly, one of the largest maroon communities in North America. The British proclamation offering freedom to enslaved people in the United States in exchange for service in the British Colonial Marines made the fort a beacon not only to the enslaved but also to maroons already living free with the Seminole in the relative safety of Spanish Florida. After the destruction of the community in 1816, the details of this site of antislavery resistance were largely forgotten, allowing myth and misunderstanding to flourish. Now, new archeological investigations at the fort have been used to strip away the inaccuracies rife in both the primary sources and the modern retellings to rediscover the lost story of the diverse community of freedom seekers who used the fort not just for defense but as their home. Taken together with a commitment to further study, connecting the academic community with research opportunities, and working in tandem with descendant communities, these efforts will elevate this highly significant maroon society to its deserved place in national and international history.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Seeking Freedom in the Borderlands: Archaeological Perspectives on Maroon Societies in Florida   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35817.0