The Southern Underground Railroad: Fort Mose - Part 2 - Francisco Menendez

Sankofa Chronicles: A Black History Podcast · Sep 15, 2026 · 10m

He was born near the Gambia River around 1704. Captured as a boy. Enslaved in South Carolina. Escaped during the Yamasee War. Sold again. Baptized. Became godson to his enslaver. Then became Captain of the first free Black town in America.

This is Francisco Menéndez - soldier, husband, father, founder of Fort Mose.

Recap from S2 E3: In 1738, 38 households built Fort Mose (Mo-SAY), 2 miles north of St. Augustine, the first legally recognized free Black town in what is now the US. Yesterday we covered The Town. Today - the man who led it.

What we cover:

Menendez's birth in West Africa, Mandinka…