Francisco Menendez (creole)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Francisco Menendez was a creole leader in 18th century St. Augustine, Florida.

Francisco Menendez is first traceable as a slave in South Carolina. He, like many of his contemporaries, ran away to St. Augustine, Florida.

In Florida he gained his freedom and was appointed the head of the black militia based at Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose. From this base Menendez lead several raids on South Carolina.

In 1740 Mose fell to the advancing forces of South Carolina reacting to the Stono Rebellion.

Menendez decided to seek more rewards from the king of Spain. He set out as a privateer bound for Spain. He was captured by the English and sold back into slavery.

He was then ransomed and returned to Florida.

[edit] Sources

Berlin, Ira. Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in North America. Cambirdge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1998. p. 74-75.