History of St. Augustine

vernor and General James Oglethorpe of Georgia; he split the Spanish-Seminole alliance when he gained the help of Ahaya the Cow keeper, chief of the Alachua band of the Seminole tribe. The Seminole then occupied territory mostly in the north of Florida. Later they migrated into the center and south of the peninsula.

In the subsequent campaign in 1740, Oglethorpe commanded several thousand colonial militia and British regulars, along with Alachua band warriors, and invaded Spanish Florida. He conducted the Siege of St. Augustine as part of during the War of Jenkin's Ear (1739-1742). During this siege, the black community of St. Augustine was important in resisting the British forces. The leader of Fort Mose during the battle was the legendary Capt. Francisco Menendez: born in Africa, he twice escaped from slavery. In Florida, he played an important role in defending St. Augustine from British raids. The Fort Mose site (of which only ruins remain) is now owned and maintained by the Florida Park Service. It has been designated as a National Historic Landmark.

British period

In 1763, the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years War. Spain ceded Florida and St. Augustine to the British, in exchange for their relinquishing control of occupied Havana. With the change of government, most of the Spanish Floridians and many freedmen departed from St. Augustine for Cuba. Only a few remained to handle unsold property and settle affairs.

James Grant was appointed the first governor of East Florida. He served from 1764 until 1771, when he returned to Britain due to illness. He was replaced as governor by Patrick Tonyn. During this brief period, the British converted the monks' quarters of the former Franciscan monastery into military barracks, which were named