Over the course of our drive to Florida, we explored a British fort, its adjacent town laid out in a perfect grid; a coastal plantation whose slaves were from western Africa; an ancient, native American population who, for thousands of years, farmed and hunted in the tidal waters of the Southeast coast; a French fort that was attacked by Spaniards. All of these places are within 100 miles of each other. Our day underlines America's reputation as a "melting pot" of humanity.
Fort Frederica, in southern Georgia near Jekyll Island, was a British fort established along the northern edge of what was termed "debatable lands," the neutral zone between lands claimed by Spain and those claimed by Britain. A British captain, Oglethorpe, determined the necessity and location of the fort and recruited skilled workers from Scotland, Germany and other countries to support the military encampment. The town was laid out in a perfect grid within the protective confines of a moat. Though only ruins remain, the shadows of roads among the rows of live oaks give an impression of a tidy English village. We wondered what the recruited inhabitants thought of the new world: the oppressive heat and humidity of summer, the extroverted alligators, swarming insects, malaria. The list of challenges is long; it's no surprise that the military outpost melted away as the need for the it lessened with the establishment of England's dominance in the colonizing of America.
Fort Caroline, a French fort built as a stopover on the trade route, is one of the four sites within the National Park Service's Timucuan Preserve. The park's namesake was a people who lived in the region for centuries before European explorers laid claim to it. They passed along much of their farming and fishing knowledge to colonies and forts, helping the newcomers to survive in the harsh environment. Their influence was also put to good use on the Kingsley plantation, across the St. John River from Fort Caroline. The plantation was supported by many slaves, who lived in 25 huts. They farmed cotton and created great wealth for their owner.
We're settled on Florida's northeastern coast and look forward to some splash-time in the Atlantic tomorrow, weather permitting. It's quite gusty and cool this evening, and there are warnings of dangerous riptides and rough seas for the next few hours. We have lots of fun places to visit over the next few days, and we aren't going to let some less-than-ideal weather get in the way!
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| Live oaks, draped in Spanish moss, delineate the streets of the former town of Fort Frederica |
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| The Junior Ranger program at Fort Frederica was very creative...Kendall opted to wear an English cap, and Kelsey checked our surroundings with a provided telescope. The ruins of the military fort are in the background. |
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| The slaves on the Kingsley plantation lived in a hut village; they would have looked like the one below...with a roof but no windows. |
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| We traveled across the St. John river aboard an auto ferry. A flock of pelicans saw us off for the 3-minute voyage. |
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| The rebuilt site of Fort Caroline, on the east side of present-day Jacksonville, Fla. |
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