Middle Passage to Pensacola / African Presence in Colonial Pensacola - Florida Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Middle Passage to Pensacola
Beginning in the early 1500s and continuing for more than three centuries, about 12 million enslaved Africans were transported across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to the Americas. This transportation, known as the Middle Passage, was the largest forced migration in history. As documented by the UNESCO Slave Trade Route Project, about 2 million enslaved Africans died during the voyage, and approximately 500,000 were delivered directly to the North American mainland. In August 1559, the expedition of Tristán de Luna y Arellano landed at the Bay of Ochuse, later named Pensacola Bay. Among his company of 1,550 were Africans, both freed and enslaved. How or where the expedition's black members served is uncertain. However, according to records kept by Luna, it is well documented that they were here. Despite losing ships due to a hurricane in Pensacola Bay, Luna started a colony. The Africans in the expedition were among the first to have a continuous presence in the United States. In 1561, Luna was replaced, and departed for Havana. The settlement became a trading post during the colonial era, supplying its Native American trading partners with British goods in exchange for furs.

African Presence in Colonial Pensacola
As the number of European settlements grew in North America, so did the number of enslaved Africans being imported and traded. Between 1775 and 1805, four documented slave ships, the Sucesco, the Black Prince, the Fly, and the Beggar's Bennison, carried over 350 enslaved Africans to Pensacola. Britain gained control of Pensacola in 1763, and made it the capital of their West Florida colony. As part of their effort to develop Pensacola into a more thriving settlement, the British increased the importation of enslaved Africans and enacted new slave codes similar to those of their other North American colonies. Despite these policies, because of its relative remoteness, Pensacola became a refuge for enslaved people who had escaped from other nearby colonies. Racial lines in Pensacola blurred after Spain reclaimed West Florida following the American Revolutionary War. By 1811, Panton, Leslie & Company (1796-1848) had moved the headquarters of their Native American trading operation to Pensacola and brought at least 1,260 enslaved African captives with them. Their skills and cultural practices were foundational to the development of Pensacola.

Marker Number: F-1101 Date: 2021 County: Escambia Marker Type: City Sponsored or placed by: The City Of Pensacola, the Pensacola Middle Passage Ceremony, Port Marker Committee, and the Florida Department of State Website: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
In your log, please say if you learned something new, and if you took any extra time to explore the area once you stopped at the historic marker waymark.

Please post a photo at the marker location.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.