Francisco Menéndez Commands Fort Mose's Free Black Militia

Francisco Menéndez, formerly enslaved in Carolina and freed by the Spanish, is appointed captain of the Fort Mose free Black militia. He successfully defends Fort Mose during the British siege of 1740, helping repel Governor Oglethorpe's invasion of Florida. His military service earns him land, freedom papers, and a salary — extraordinary standing for any 18th-century Black man in the Americas.