Fernandina’s place in the history of slavery — part 2

The importation of human beings through the port at Old Town Fernandina and their use for slave labor is a story that does not appear in most Amelia Island tourist guides. Most of the treasure brought to Amelia Island by pirates was not meant for secret burial; it was meant to be sold. The treasure...

  • A marker on the Fort San Carlos Plaza in Old Town Fernandina notes the story of the slave ship Guerrero, which hit a reef off of Key Largo in 1827 while on its way to Cuba carrying 561 enslaved Africans. Three hundred and ninety-eight surviving captives were sold as slaves. Two years later, 100 of the remaining people who survived the ordeal were taken from Fernandina to Africa by the U.S. government. PEG DAVIS/NEWS-LEADER
    A marker on the Fort San Carlos Plaza in Old Town Fernandina notes the story of the slave ship Guerrero, which hit a reef off of Key Largo in 1827 while on its way to Cuba carrying 561 enslaved Africans. Three hundred and ninety-eight surviving captives were sold as slaves. Two years later, 100 of the remaining people who survived the ordeal were taken from Fernandina to Africa by the U.S. government. PEG DAVIS/NEWS-LEADER

    The importation of human beings through the port at Old Town Fernandina and their use for slave labor is a story that does not appear in most Amelia Island tourist guides. Most of the treasure brought…