Timucuan

https://www.nps.gov/timu/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timucuan_Preserve The Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve is in Jacksonville, Florida. It comprises 46,000 acres (19,000 ha) of wetlands, waterways, and other habitats in northeastern Duval County. It includes natural and historic areas such as the Fort Caroline National Memorial and the Kingsley Plantation. Visit one of the last unspoiled coastal wetlands on the Atlantic Coast. Discover 6,000 years of human history and experience the beauty of salt marshes, coastal dunes, and hardwood hammocks. The Timucuan Preserve includes Fort Caroline and Kingsley Plantation. The beautiful expanse of the Timucuan Preserve is located within the city limits of Jacksonville, Florida. The Preserve can be accessed from major roads and highways in and around Jacksonville. Directions to individual park sites such as Kingsley Plantation, American Beach and the Ribault Column can be found on our website. Our main visitor center is located at Fort Caroline, about 14 miles northeast of downtown. Kingsley Plantation Visitor Contact Station You can explore the grounds at Kingsley Plantation, which include the slave quarters, barn, waterfront, planter's house, kitchen house, and interpretive garden. The visitor contact station/bookstore is located in a 1920s building adjacent to the plantation buildings. From I-95 north of Jacksonville: Traveling from the north via Interstate 95, exit at the I-295 East Beltway (Exit #362 A). Exit at Heckscher Drive, turn left. Continue on Heckscher 9 miles. After passing the St. Johns River Ferry landing on your right, turn left 1/2 mile later at the brown National Park Service sign onto Fort George Island. Follow the signs; the road leads directly to the Kingsley Plantation parking lot. You can also reach Kingsley Plantation by boat. Timucuan Preserve Visitor Center at Fort Caroline Located at Fort Caroline National Memorial, the Timucuan Preserve Visitor Center hosts the exhibit "Where the Waters Meet." This exhibit showcases the richness of the environment in northeast Florida and how humans have interacted with this environment for thousands of years. The Visitor Center hosts a bookstore and information desk, and activities are available to do while exploring the exhibits. Fort Caroline is located in Jacksonville, Florida, about 14 miles northeast of downtown. From I-95 north of Jacksonville: Traveling from the north via Interstate 95 exit at the I-295 East Beltway. I-295 crosses the St. Johns River. Exit at Monument Road, follow the brown signs to the left, and travel to Fort Caroline Road. Turn right, and follow Fort Caroline Road as it curves to the left. The entrance to the Fort Caroline is on your left. Kingsley Plantation Slave Quarters slave cabins made of tabby with wooden roofs The tabby cabins at Kingsley Plantation were the homes of many enslaved people. Nana dune at American Beach sand dune and blue sky The sand dune at American Beach is a protected part of the Timucuan Preserve. Fort Caroline fort gate The fort exhibit at Fort Caroline teaches visitors of the failed French colony in Florida. Theodore Roosevelt Area park bench alongside a trail The Theodore Roosevelt Area trails provide a getaway from the urban hustle within the city of Jacksonville. Baby Fox A baby fox pops it's head from a burrow The Timucuan Preserve hosts wondrous biodiversity. NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve Ecological and Historic Preserve, Florida Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. sunrise over river The Ceramics Assemblage from the Kingsley Plantation Slave Quarters A four-year archeological exploration of Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve's Kingsley Plantation focuses on the slave quarters from the early nineteenth-century. This analysis of the ceramics assemblage compared to that of the archetypal antebellum plantation of Cannon’s Point Plantation, GA is a fundamental first step to interpreting the role of material objects in the slaves’ daily lives. Photo of a row of cabins in ruins. Southeast Coast Network News July 2018 Southeast Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network newsletter for July 2018. Doors to Interpretation: Kingsley Plantation The diverse and often complex histories of Kingsley Plantation, located on Fort George Island in Florida, are reflected in its cultural landscape. The various structures, their use, and the spatial arrangement of the landscape illustrate historic boundaries of access, ownership, and power. Today, the NPS maintains and interprets these landscape features to open complex histories to interpretation. An African American man stands beside a wooden well, under an arching tree and near a row of cabins. What's in a Name? Online Jr Ranger Activity There is a story behind every name in Timucuan Preserve. This guessing game takes online Junior Rangers to every site and gives a backstory to the areas name. the sign for Fort Caroline National Memorial Timucuan Online Photo Scavenger Hunt Explore the Timucuan Preserve website searching for photos in our online Junior Ranger Challenge and see what you learn along the way. Print out your new Junior Ranger badge once you have finished. a dock with pink sky reflected in the water Monitoring Estuarine Water Quality in Coastal Parks: Fixed Station Monitoring Estuaries are the convergence of freshwater, delivered by rivers, to the ocean's salty sea water. The result is a delicate ecosystem providing existence for a multitude of fish and wildlife species. we have created the story map to help you learn more about how these estuaries formed, the potential issues they face, and the process of monitoring the water quality utilizing fixed station monitoring. Waterbirds congregate in an estuary at sunset. Monitoring Estuarine Water Quality in Coastal Parks: Park-wide Assessments Estuaries located in national parks provide recreational experiences such as fishing and boating for park visitors. Therefore, knowing what's in the water can assist the park in its mission of managing such a critcal resource. The Southeast Coast Network monitors water quality through fixed station monitoring and park-wide assessments. While the former is conducted on a monthly basis, park-wide assessments are completed every five years. Learn more with this story map. Dock stretching out into an estuary as the sun sets over the water. Marching Mangroves: Finding the Most Northern One Is Just the Beginning The appearance of tropical trees in a historical park foreshadows climate change’s profound impacts on our natural and cultural heritage. Man in uniform standing in a large salt marsh looking at a small mangrove tree. Effectiveness of Fuels Treatments Yields Success at Timucuan National Preserve. In FY’21, Timucuan National Preserve had success when a wildfire burned up to a preexisting fuels treatment, reducing impacts from suppression activities and reducing the need for suppression repair. An afternoon thunderstorm in June 2021 ignited the Red Trail fire at TIMU. The fire was contained on two sides by a fuels treatment that had been put in place by the Atlantic Zone Fire Management Office, leading to little need for suppression actions by firefighting resources. Interagency crews responded to the Red Trail Fire. Photo Weaving Join park rangers at Timucuan Preserve in weaving a landscape inspired craft project. a photo of sunrise on river sits on a desk next to a small loom with yarn version on the image Changing Patterns of Water Availability May Change Vegetation Composition in US National Parks Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios. Green, orange, and dead grey junipers in red soil, mountains in background Intern Spotlight: Nina Pulley Meet Nina Pulley, a Greening Youth Foundation intern currently working on park planning with the Pacific West Regional Office. Nina at Mount Rainier National Park Success at the 2023 Girl Scout Convention and Boy Scout National Jamboree Read about the two major Scouting events that took place in July 2023 - the Girl Scout Convention held in Orlando, Florida and the Boy Scouts Jamboree held in Beckley, West Virginia. Phenom by Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts Jamboree Freedom Seekers of Timucuan Preserve Discover the stories of courage, mystery, drama, tragedy, and hope contained in the history of Timucuan Preserves freedom seekers. two story tabby ruins in forest Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park System To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. 2023 Excellence in Volunteerism Awards The National Park Service congratulates the regional recipients of the 2023 Excellence in Volunteerism Awards. These nominees embody the values of service, engagement, and stewardship fundamental to our national parks. The volunteer-in-parks logo Building Coastal Resiliency We're restoring shoreline at 3 parks with Pervious Oyster Shell Habitat (POSH) modules created from oysters recycled from restaurants. These will serve as the base of new oyster beds that will fight erosion from boat wakes. two people carry oyster ball onto beach with marsh grasses Guide to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Southeast Region Collection This finding aid describes the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Southest Region Collection, part of the NPS History Collection. Dragonfly mercury studies uncover unexpected atmospheric delivery pathways Read the abstract and get the link to a published paper on how dragonfly mercury studies uncover unexpected atmospheric delivery pathways: Janssen, S.E., C.J. Kotalik, J.J. Willacker, M.T. Tate, C. Flanagan Pritz, S.J. Nelson, D.P. Krabbenhoft, D. Walters, and C. Eagles-Smith. 2024. Geographic Drivers of Mercury Entry into Aquatic Foods Webs Revealed by Mercury Stable Isotopes in Dragonfly Larvae. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02436 close up of dragonfly larvae on white spoon Climate Change in Timucuan Preserve What does climate change mean for Timucuan Preserve? Learn about the specific changes, challenges, and opportunities for action in the park. flooding and cone around fort wall Project Profile: Build Coastal Resiliency with Oyster Modules The National Park Service will restore over 100 meters of shoreline at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. Pervious Oyster Shell Habitat modules created from oysters recycled from restaurants will be installed in the intertidal zone and will serve as the base of new oyster beds. These modules will provide an anchor for new oyster bed growth that will decrease erosion, improve water quality, and increase the ecological functions of salt marsh at these sites. A sun setting over a salt marsh with lots of green aquatic plants. “Cracking the code” on mercury bioaccumulation Read the abstract and get the link to a published paper on a model to predict mercury risk park waterbodies: Kotalik, C.J. et al. 2025. Ecosystem drivers of freshwater mercury bioaccumulation are context-dependent: insights from continental-scale modeling. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c07280 A person stands in a field looking at a bug through a magnifying lens.

s- •i ! eg 2° * E £H if i^i z z> 01 • 0) • C yuhere the Waters Meet o • X TJ C (0 75 D 'or _o O B LLI C ID £o J- u- This wooden owl, now on exhibit in the Preserve's visitor center, is a rare surviving artifact from Florida's pre-Columbian i Indians. Above right: Artist Richard Schlecht recreates the scene of a Timucua village on the St. Johns River, between 700 and 1500 C.E. NPS In and around one of the Atlantic Coast's largest urban areas, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve offers glimpses of Old Florida in some unexpected places. Explore a fort exhibit that recalls the lives and deaths of French colonists in the 1500s. Walk among live oaks and thickets of palmettos where pre-Columbian and Timucua Indians once lived. Climb a wildlife observation platform overlooking salt marsh habitat. Visit a plantation where enslaved men, women, and children of African descent labored, raised families, worshipped, celebrated, and mourned. Find tranquility in a day at the beach or winding your way by kayak through the marshy expanse. Established in 1988, this 46,000-acre preserve includes Fort Caroline National Memorial, the Theodore Roosevelt Area, Kingsley Plantation, Cedar Point, and thousands of acres of woods, water, and salt marsh. These diverse natural and human stories come alive where the Nassau and St. Johns rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean— where the waters meet. Who Were the Timucua? For thousands of years, native people depended on the rich natural resources of the St. Johns estuary. These pre-Columbian people have left clues to their exis tence; the most easily recognized are the mounds of shells found throughout the preserve. The Indians who made contact with the first European arrivals to the area in the mid-1500s are today known as the Timucua. The term Timucua actually represents a number of cultural traditions that have become defined by a shared language. The Timucua who settled along the rivers and islands near the c 3 u 3 E • ••• Background: The salt marsh viewed from the Theodore Roosevelt Area. Far left: Tricolored heron. Left: Wood stork. Right: Sea Island cotton plant growing at Kingsley Plantation. HERON: OMIILARD H, SHARP WOOD STORK: ©ARTHUR MORRtS'RLRDS A, iH COTTONP The Timucua of this area first encountered Europeans in 1562 when French settlers arrived at the St. Johns River. The Timucua offered food and even helped the strange newcomers build a fort. As with other Florida native peoples, though, they did not long survive contact with Europeans. Spanish rulers, who had driven out the French, imposed their own culture, including spiritual beliefs through the Spanish mission system. European diseases, to which the Timucua had no immunity, devastated the population. Only 550 Timucua were recorded in 1698, from a population once in the tens of thousands. Today, no known indigenous people call themselves Timucua. Above: French colonist Jacques le Moyne's sketches of the Timucua Indians gave many Europeans their first views of Native Americans. Le Moyne died in 1587 before his work was completed. A Flemish engraver, Theodore de Bry, finished Le Moyne's illus- trations and prepared them for publication. Published around the same time was an account of French life in Florida written by Rene de Laudonniere, leader of the Fort Caroline settlement. Oyster shells (left), piled in mounds, are visible along the banks of the St. Johns River. The ustration at top shows a typical shell pile at far left. MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOUR fSK^SMM Fort de la Caroline a site along the south bank of the river a few miles inland from the mouth. The colonists, mostly Huguenots, named their colony "la Caroline" in honor of King Charles IX. The Timucua helped them build a triangular fort. On May 1,1562, a French voyage of discovery led by Jean Ribault arrived at the mouth of the St. Johns River. After exploring the area the corps erected a stone marker and sailed north. Two years later an expeditionary force led by Rene de Laudonniere established the first French colony in what is now the United States. They chose wr/uL Atlantic Ocean took advantage of the waterways for transportation. Using tools made from the storehouse of natural materials, they felled, burned, and scraped tree trunks to make dugout canoes. They hunted and gathered in the forests and marshes, fished, and collected oysters and clams. Discarded shells were piled atop the mounds accumulating from successive generations. It is these ever-present shell mounds that testify to the importance of the water for survival. Good relations between natives and newcomers were difficult to maintain. Moreover, problems with leadership, homesickness, hunger, and disappointment at notfindingmaterial wealth led to discontent among the colonists. In August 1565, just as they were about to abandon their colony, reinforcements led by Jean Ribault came from France. King Phillip II of Spain, a Catho lie, viewed the French as "h

Southeast Region Timucuan Preserve National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Timucuan National Preserve Kayaking the Timucuan Preserve One with the Environment Shrouded by a light fog as an early morning high tide rises over vast salt marshes, a lone kayaker slowly moves with the current north of the St. Johns River. Ahead of the kayak an osprey dives into a school of finger mullet and snares one in its talons, barely rippling the water’s mirror- like surface. The only sounds are those of na­ ture; sounds familiar to Timucuan Indians, sounds of birds, of the wind blowing through the marsh grasses, and the water lapping against the shore. In a kayak you are one with this place. Why Kayaking? The most rapidly growing water- sport in Florida is kayak paddling and after you have tried it you can easily see why. Compared to canoes, kayaks are easier to paddle, have less wind resistance, and glide gracefully through the water. Contrary to popular belief; kayaks are not easy to tip over, they have comfortable seats, and offer an extremely dry ride. Over three quarters of the Timucuan Preserve’s 46,000 acres is salt marsh estuary. These flooded marine grasslands are a true wilderness area with miles upon miles of Currents & Tides Ask any veteran salt marsh kayaker what’s the most important thing you need to know in order to have a good time paddling in the estuary, and most will say “Understanding the tides.” In order to safely navigate Timucuan’s waterways you must have some knowledge of currents and tides. Tide forecasts may be endless meandering creeks teeming with wildlife. No other watercraft gives you the stealth, stability, and security needed to explore this wilderness, as does a kayak. In a kayak you can view wildlife in a quiet, non ­ threatening way. Kayaking is an ecologically low impacting recreational activity heartily endorsed by the Timucuan Preserve. Paddling a kayak is excellent exercise and provides one of the best opportunities for bonding with nature; a true Timucuan Preserve experience. found in local newspapers or television weather reports, or on NOAA weather radio. But just knowing the times of a day’s tide stages is not enough. Tides rise and fall every six hours creating an environment that is constantly in motion. Once you learn to predict this natural cycle your enjoyment of our inshore waters will be limitless. Safety Equipment & Precautions Before you go paddling make sure your kayak is in good working order. Are all the screws tight, bulkhead covers secure, rudder and foot controls responsive? Be sure to carry basic safety equipment and know how to use it correctly. Always leave a float plan with some ­ one prior to going paddling. Do not go any ­ where in the Preserve without a map. - First aid kit, insect repellent, sunscreen, hat, snu g -fitting shoes, sunglasses - Sponge, bilge pump, or water bailing device -Drinking water and food - Topo map or NOAA chart (or both) and a tide chart, consult daily weather forecast Basic Safety Equipment: - Spare paddle or paddle leash - The most important piece of safety equip­ ment is your personal flotation device (PFD). Florida law requires all kayakers to have a PFD and a whistle. Public Launch Sites Alimacani Boat Ramp: located off Heckscher Dr. near Ft. George Inlet bridge, next to Boot­ leggers Resturant. Access to Ft. George River; no fee. Big Talbot Island State Park Boat Ramp: located on the northwest end of Big Talbot Island off A1A. Access to Saw Pit Creek, Intracoastal Waterway (I.C.W.) north, Nassau River and Nassau Sound; $3.00 user fee. Cedar Point Boat Ramp: located at the south ­ ern end of Cedar Point Road. Access to Cedar Point Creek, Horseshoe Creek, Hannah Mills Creek, and I.C.W.; no fee. Fulton Road Boat Ramp: located at north end of Fulton Road in East Arlington. Access to main channel of St. Johns River, just west of Ft. Caroline N. Mem. and the Theodore Roosevelt Area; no fee. Helen Cooper Floyd Park (Little Jetties): located off Mayport Rd. west of the Coast Guard Station. Access to Chicopit Bay and I.C.W. south of the St. Johns River; no fee. -Survival Kit: waterproof matches, flare, knife, repair materials (duct tape) and tools. Huguenot City Park: located off Heckscher Dr. at the mouth of the St. Johns River. Access to Ft. George River; $0.50 user fee. Little Talbot Island State Park Ramp: l o ­ cated off A1A on Little Talbot Island, near camp ground area. Access to Myrtle Creek; $3.25 user fee. Palms Fish Camp: located at 6359 Heckscher Dr. on the east side of Clapboard Creek Bridge. Access to Clapboard Creek and Ce­ dar Point Creek. Parking is limited; no fee. Simpson Creek Bridge Ramp: located off A1A on southeast end of Big Talbot Island. Access to Simpson Creek; no fee. Joe Carlucci Boat Ramp: located on south side of Heckscher Dr. at the I.C.W. Access to main channel of the St. Johns River; no fee. Sisters Creek Park Boat Ramp: located on north side of Heckscher Dr. at the I.C.W.

Kingsley Plantation Æ Å Ribault Club Hiking and Biking Fort George Island Hiking and biking trails are available on Fort George Island, where Kingsley Plantation and Ribault Club are located. Check in at one of these parks for more information on hiking the trails, which follow the old golf course fairways on the island. This island sketch is a visual aid, not intended for use as a trail map. A trail map is under development. Call 904.251.3537 for more information, or visit www.nps.gov/timu 

Timucuan National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Ecological and Historic Preserve One-Day Excursions Jacksonville is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Plan an excursion to explore the city’s urban and natural treasures. Listed below are many parks, museums, and attractions that are within the Timucuan Preserve or near the city of Jacksonville. Please call each site for up-to-date information regarding hours, prices and facilities. Park Areas Fort Caroline National Memorial Home of the Timucuan Preserve Visitor Center, this park memorializes the site of a 16th-century French colony – the first European settlement in the area. Open daily 9 am to 5 pm, closed Thanksgiving, New Years Day, Christmas Day. Free admission. 12713 Ft. Caroline Rd. (904) 641-7155, www.nps.gov/timu Talbot Islands State Parks These two beautiful park areas offer nature trails, campsites, picnic areas and lots of beach. Open daily 8 am to sunset. Admission fee charged. Located off Hwy A1A, approx. 3 miles north of the St. Johns River ferry. (904) 251­ 2320, www.floridastateparks.org/littletalbotisland Fort Clinch State Park This restored Civil War fort from the 1840s is surrounded by beaches and nature trails. Park offers fishing, campsites and picnic grounds. Open daily 8 am to sundown; Fort open daily 9 am to 5 pm. Located off Hwy A1A in Fernandina Beach. (904) 277-7274, www.floridastateparks.org/fortclinch Theodore Roosevelt Area This 600-acre natural area within the Timucuan Preserve has over 5 miles of hiking trails winding through one of North Florida’s most pristine areas. Summer hours: 6 am to 8 pm; Winter hours: 6 am to 6 pm. Closed Thanksgiving, New Years Day, Christmas. Free admission. Located 1.5 miles southeast of the entrance to Fort Caroline National Memorial. (904) 641-7155, www.nps.gov/timu Huguenot Memorial Park This beautiful beach area offers camping, fishing and nature trails. Open daily 6 am until one hour before sunset. Admission fee charged. Located just north of the St. Johns River ferry landing on Hwy A1A. (904) 251-3335, www.coj.net Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park A 450-acre city park with beaches, trails, picnic areas, freshwater fishing lakes and 300 campsites. Open daily. Winter hours: 8 am to 6 pm; Summer hours: 8 am to 8:30 pm. Located south of Mayport Naval Station on Hwy A1A. (904) 249­ 4700, www.coj.net Kingsley Plantation Located on historic Ft. George Island within the Timucuan Preserve, this site includes the oldest standing plantation house in Florida and the remains of original tabby slave cabins. Open daily 9 am to 5 pm, closed Thanksgiving, New Years Day, Christmas. Ranger talks offered daily. Free admission. Located off Hwy A1A just north of the St. Johns River ferry. (904) 251-3537, www.nps.gov/timu Tree Hill Nature Center This 42-acre preserve includes two nature trails, a garden area, and gift shop. Open Monday through Saturday 8 am to 4:30 pm. Admission fee is charged. 7152 Lone Star Rd., Jacksonville. (904) 724-4646, www.treehill.org University of North Florida The only university in Florida located in a state wildlife refuge. The area offers fishing, picknicking, canoe rentals, and 4.5 miles of hiking trails. Open daily during daylight hours. 4567 St. Johns Bluff Rd. S. (904) 620-1810, www.unf.edu/recsports/nature More Park Areas Walter Jones Historical Park This 10-acre historical park explores post-Civil War Mandarin. The park includes the farmhouse, barn, outbuildings, sawmill, nature trail, boardwalk, picnic area and restrooms. Mandarin Museum located on park grounds. Guided tours are available by advance reservation. Call for museum and park hours. Located at 11964 Mandarin Rd. (904) 268-0784, www.mandarinmuseum.net/WJPark.html Kids Kampus at Metropolitan Park This 10-acre recreational facility offers a splash park, miniature Jacksonville landmarks and educational and innovative playground equipment. A picnic pavilion and jogging trails are also available. Located Downtown at 1410 Gator Blvd. Open daily, hours vary seasonally. Water park open during summer only. Call for schedule. (904) 630-5437, www.coj.net Museums Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens Well known for its collections of significant European and American paintings and for its world-renowned collection of early Meissen porcelain. Closed Monday. Call for hours of operation and admission prices. 829 Riverside Ave. (904) 356-6857, www.cummer.org Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum Features original documents and manuscripts relating to history, science, literature, music, art and exploration. Open Tues-Sat. 10 am to 4 pm, Sun. 12 pm to 4 pm. (904) 356-2992. Located Downtown at 101 W. 1st Street at Laura St., www.rain.org/~karpeles/jaxfrm.html Jacksonville Maritime Museum Includes the history of the St. Johns River and maritime artifacts. Admission is free. Located on the Southbank Riverwalk. (904) 398-9011, www.jaxmaritimemuseum.org Other Attractions Museum of Science and Histo

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Timucuan Preserve Ecological and Historic Preserve Theodore Roosevelt Area Hiking Guide & Trail Map “There’s a lot that’s disappearing (land), but people are waking up to the fact there’s not much left.” “That’s why I want this place saved. So you can come see God.” “Pretty soon there will come a day when there will be nothing but a concrete jungle from New York City to Jacksonville.” - Willie Browne, 1969 “A place in the woods people can go to” The Theodore Roosevelt Area is a place where people can leave the everyday pressures and stresses of life behind and enter a world where their senses can indulge in the sounds, smells, and sights of “Old Florida.” The park is a gift given to the people by an insightful man, Willie Browne, who lived his entire life upon this property. Towards the end of his life he became worried that Have a Safe and Enjoyable Visit Jacksonville would become a “concrete jungle” with no wild areas remaining. People offered Willie millions of dollars to buy his land, but he declined and donated the land (for free) so that future generations would “have a place in the woods to go to.” Hiking at the Theodore Roosevelt Area takes some prior planning. We suggest that visitors: We also ask that: • Dogs be kept on leashes at all times; • Carry drinking water, • Hikers stay on marked trails; • Wear sunscreen, • • Trash be placed in the garbage can located in the parking lot; Apply insect repellant, • • Use a walking stick, Visitors report any conditions that could be unsafe. • Take a cell phone to call 911 and park staff in case of emergency at 904-641-7155. Theodore Roosevelt Area Hiking Map Timucuan Preserve (2008) – Fort Caroline National Memorial – 904-641-7155 – http://www.nps.gov/timu EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage. 

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve Cedar Point Consisting of approximately 400 acres, Cedar Point is located on the south end of Black Hammock Island. Cedar Point Rd. The trail system takes you through a wide range of north Florida ecosystems. Here you can experience both upland hammocks and salt marsh habitats throughout one of the last undeveloped tracts within the boundaries of the Timucuan Preserve. The Cedar Point Loop Trail takes you through maritime hammock with marsh views. The Pinelands Trail takes you through scrub pinelands. Park staff can be reached at Kingsley Plantation. Call 904.251.3537. For your safety, please follow these guidelines. Stay on designated trails Keep pets on a leash at all times Bicycles allowed on trails Be prepared for heat and insects ek H or se S ho Pu eC m re i pk nH ill Cr e e ek Enjoy your time in the park No Fires No Hunting No Camping LEGEND No rth 0 You Are Here Fence Scrub/Pinelands Maritime Hammock Pinelands Trail Salt Marsh Cedar Point Loop Trail Park Boundary 0.2 Miles Parking Ce da rP oin tC Boat Ramp Trailhead 

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve The River War: The Timucuan Preserve in the Civil War In 1861, Florida voted to leave the Union and to join with other Southern states in the Confederacy. Although few actual battles were fought in Florida during the Civil War, the state nonetheless played an important part for both sides in the conflict. Florida sent more than 14,000 troops to fight for the Confederacy, while 1,200 white men and almost as many black men fought for the Union army. The rivers and harbors of northeast Florida were important for ships trying to get supplies in and out of the state. The state also served as an important source for lumber, salt, cattle, hogs and other food for the Confederate army. Before the end of the war, the area of the Preserve would be the scene of one major battle and months of entrenchment, occupation, and skirmishing, as Federal gunboats patrolled the river and its tributaries to enforce the blockade and Confederate forces sought to keep supply lines open and to harass Union forces. Area residents, both free and enslaved, endured tremendous hardship and privation during the years of the war. Jacksonville Jacksonville was a divided city during the Civil War. With a population of 2,100 in the period leading up to the war – a mix of southern, northern and foreign-born whites, free blacks and slaves – Jacksonville was a cosmopolitan environment. Large hotels built for a growing tourist trade enhanced this image. Thriving businesses owned mainly by northern and foreign-born residents crowded the waterfront. Though compatible in peacetime, this regionally and racially diverse population proved volatile when war was declared and hostilities began. Secession signaled cataclysmic change for Jacksonville. Although located on the edge of actual conflict, Jacksonville endured violence and devastation as control of the city changed Mayport Mills/ Fort Steele Soon after Florida seceded from the Union, Confederate troops established a fort near the mouth of the St. Johns River at the site of the small fishing village of Mayport Mills, the site of today’s Mayport Naval Station. Called Fort Steele, the fort was built of palmetto logs and fortified with seven heavy guns. Faced with superior numbers of Union troops, however, the fort was soon considered indefensible, its guns were buried, and the fort abandoned. In March 1862, after a Federal naval expedition easily captured Fernandina to the north and St. hands repeatedly between Confederate and Union forces. Each army burned lumberyards and destroyed mills and railroads that they thought would be of use to their opponents. Troops also confiscated and occupied homes. The first Federal occupation of Jacksonville began on March 12, 1862. When Union troops finally returned to the deserted city in 1864 for the 4th and final time, they found Jacksonville in bad shape. Much of the city had been burned. One commander reported the city was “pathetically dilapidated, a mere skeleton of its former self, a victim of war.” Only one sawmill was left with which to begin to rebuild the city when the war finally ended. Augustine to the south, Federal gunboats landed at Mayport Mills and henceforth used it as a base from which to patrol the St. Johns River, and periodically re-occupy Jacksonville, for the duration of the war. The town often found itself in the middle of skirmishes between Confederate guerillas and Union gunboats. As Union gunboats became increasingly active in taking aboard escaped slaves, freedmen, and Union supporters, a small temporary settlement of refugees also developed at Mayport Mills. St. Johns Bluff The Civil War was less than a year and a half old when Confederates under the command of Brigadier General Joseph Finegan first occupied St. Johns Bluff, on the south side of the St. Johns River, in order to protect their access to Jacksonville, 18 miles upriver. On September 9, 1862, guns were positioned atop hastily erected fortifications. On September 17, acting on a tip from a runaway slave that the Confederates had occupied the bluff, six Federal gunboats under the command of Charles Steedman assembled at Mayport Mills, approached to within 600 yards of the bluff, and quickly opened fire on the fortifications, raining shot and shell on the fixed positions atop the bluff for the next five hours. Steedman soon realized that the rebels could “not be dislodged except by a combined land and naval attack.” On October 1, the Federal Yellow Bluff Located on the north and opposite side of the St. Johns River from St. Johns Bluff, the site know as Yellow Bluff was 5 miles further upriver, closer to Jacksonville, and also important in protecting access to that city. Yellow Bluff Fort was constructed in 1862 by the Confederate army to “relieve the valley of the Saint John’s from the marauding incursions of the enemy (Union army).” There was never an actual fort on Y

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve The Huguenots Huguenot Cross Who are the Huguenots? Who was John Calvin? In April 1564 French colonists and soldiers under the command of Rene de Laudonniere came to Spanish controlled la Florida with the intent to build a permanent settlement at the mouth of the River of May (St. Johns River.) The settlement was originally planned as a commercial venture, but as conflicts with the Catholics continued in France, Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, a Huguenot, proposed that it also become a refuge for the Huguenots. The name give to the settlement was “la Caroline” after France’s young monarch, Charles. Huguenots are the followers of John Calvin. The name Huguenot (oo-ga-no) is derived either from the German “eidgenossen” meaning “confederate” or from “Hugeon,” a word used in the province of Touraine to denote persons who walk in the night because their own safe places of worship were dark caves or under the night sky. In the early 1500’s Protestantism was gathering momentum all over Europe. John Calvin (Jean Cauvin, 1509-1564), a young law student in Paris, read the writings and beliefs of Martin Luther. Calvin, who had previously studied to enter the priesthood, began to consider the Protestant call to put the scriptures first and to reform the church. explosion of anti-Protestant sentiment. Calvin wound up fleeing France and settling in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1533 Calvin began to write about his own salvation experience. He followed this with a speech attacking the Roman Catholic Church and demanding a change like Martin Luther had initiated in Germany. Instead of initiating reform in the church, Calvin’s speech caused an John Calvin Political and Religious Climate in France In their struggles for religious freedom, the Huguenots were driven to become a political party headed by some of the greatest French nobles. By the mid sixteenth century, their numbers and influence had aroused the fears of the Catholic party and the powerful family of Guise. The Duke of Guise, Francois, was a military hero, and his brother the Cardinal de Lorraine was a formidable scholar and statesmen. During the reign of Frances II, the Duke’s power was absolute. The Catholics believed that “one faith”, the Catholic faith, was necessary to maintain civil order and to keep God’s favor. After King Francis II died in 1560 his mother, Catherine de Medici, assumed regency to rule in the name of her ten­ year-old son Charles IX. She tried to win First Attempt at Settlement Gaspard de Coligny was a close friend of Catherine. During these troubled years he convinced her to support a plan for a possible Huguenot settlement in Florida. Such an enterprise would provide an opportunity for French Catholics and Protestants to work together toward a common goal. To lead the expedition Coligny chose Jean Ribault of Dieppe and Rene de le Laudonniere as second in command. Three ships sailed from France on February 18, 1562. Though the majority of these passengers were Huguenots, some were French Catholics. The rest were of various other nationalities. They landed on May 1, 1562 at the mouth of the River of May (St. Johns River). Once ashore they fell to the ground and praised God for a safe trip. Ribault and his men erected a column at the site to stand as a monument EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA the support of both the Catholics and the Huguenots, giving them a limited right to worship as they chose. These concessions embittered the Catholics, while the Huguenots still wanted complete freedom. The passion of religious fanatics on both sides of the controversy foretold failure of Catherine’s policy of moderation. The first of eight separate religious wars began in 1562 when the Duke of Guise and his followers attacked a congregation of Huguenots assembled for worship in a barn. Catherine admitted that she lacked the power to punish the duke for what became known as the “Massacre of Vassy.” to their journey. They then headed north to the coast of present-day South Carolina. Ribault hastily left thirty people at Charlesfort, South Carolina to begin a settlement while he returned to France. In less than a year the people of Charlesfort became desperate over the challenges of founding a new colony in a remote land, built a ship and sailed back to Europe. Second Attempt at Settlement Huguenot Wars In 1564 Coligny persuaded Catherine to attempt a settlement for a second time. Rene de Laudonniere commanded a group of three ships with 300 people and supplies. The majority of the people were Huguenot. They arrived at St. Johns Bluff in late June 1564 and gave thanks to God for their successful voyage and the auspicious beginning of the colony by singing a psalm of thanksgiving and asking for God’s blessing that “our enterprise that all might turn to His Glory.” to restore the colony’s morale. However, it was a temporary respite, and a new challenge w

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve British East Florida, 1763 - 1783 The British Take Over Florida Florida belonged to Great Britain from 1763 to 1783. The British immediately divided Florida into two distinct colonies with the Apalachicola River as the dividing line. St. Augustine remained the capital for East Florida, while Pensacola became the capital of West Florida. This gave the British exclusive control of the eastern seaboard and the British wasted no time in th th the occupation of their 14 and 15 colonies. In the Beginning James Grant, the first royal governor, had such a strong desire to develop East Florida that many lots were given to any group willing to settle in Florida. Each settler were eligible for land grants of 100 acres of land plus 50 acres for each familiy member. Many wealthy Britions who never set foot in Florida were given large land grants. plantations had been established along the St. Johns and St. Marys rivers. With hostilities brewing in the other colonies, many families loyal to King George flocked to East Florida for safety. Quite a few of these refugees settled in East Florida , mostly in St. Augustine , St. Johns Town, and along waterways. Many of the first settlers were hardy folks, farmers, tradesmen and frontiersmen. The area of Northeast Florida had attracted so many settlers that, by 1770, more than 100 British Town Life Florida’s towns grew during this time. The English residents went about remodeling the Spanish homes until they discovered that the Spanish design kept out the winter wind and summer mosquitoes. They quickly adopted the Spanish styles and enjoyed a tropical lifestyle. St. Augustine was one of the most important cities in East Florida. Many of Florida’s wealthiest businessmen and planters lived there. In the cities and towns, people worked hard to earn their livelihood. Carpenters and blacksmiths were in high demand as town populations boomed, and sailors and pilots continued to be important to the seafaring economy. St. Johns Town St. Johns Town, near present day Jacksonville at St. Johns Bluff, grew rapidly as a result of this influx of loyalists, many of whom arrived with just the clothes on their backs. The town was a tract of two hundred acres. Just like today they divided the town into lots. The first houses were small log homes, but in the summer of 1782 numerous frame homes with detached kitchens and other structures were hastily built. British Plantation Life Land was freely available in East Florida to those who asked for it. While some land was plotted into towns, most was divided into large plots and granted to men willing to begin plantations. These plantation owners continued the practice of using enslaved men, women and children to work on their lands. Indigo, a difficult and demanding crop that was used to make an expensive and highlyprized blue dye, was one of the most important plantation crops in British East Florida. The End of British Rule St. Johns Town soon had over 300 buildings and its population grew to more than 1500, including blacksmiths, ship carpenters, a doctor and a clergyman. With its better harbor facilities, St. Johns Town soon overtook St. Augustine as a major seaport. Soon East Florida was beginning to meet its own needs, quickly developing ties to the other colonies as well as to Britain itself. As well as indigo, they provided considerable quantities of furs, lumber, turpentine, resin, tar, rice, oranges, coffee, molasses, and tobacco to the other colonies. Many important town officials like James Grant and Patrick Tonyn, both governors of the city of St. Augustine, also owned plantations. Tonyn once owned Fort George Island, later the site of Kingsley Plantation. As a result of Britain’s loss in the American Revolutionary War, Florida ceded back to Spain in 1783. This ended 20 years of British rule. deserted place, just three years after its population boom. All along the St. Johns river stood abandoned plantations. Florida was once again a Spanish colony as a result of the peace treaty with Great Britain. Spain continued to use the land grant system and further developed the plantation economy. development in the Second Spanish Period. When the Spanish took back Florida they The newly-settled loyalists once again showed little interest in occupying the British homes. found themselves on what they saw as hostile territory. Many packed up their families and possessions and relocated to the nearby British Bahamas and Jamaica. By 1785 the village at St. Johns Bluff was a The Spanish Take Over Sea Island cotton was the largest cash crop grown on the island. The economy continued to prosper under Spanish rule until Florida was sold to the Americans for Many different cultures, Spanish, American, five million dollars in 1821, marking yet Minorcan and African, both free and slave, another change of rule handed down from lived peacefu

Kingsley Plantation National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Timucuan Preserve Tabby Tabby was a constant backdrop to life for everyone at this plantation. Each morning enslaved men, women and children opened their eyes to the sight of four tabby walls. They began their day’s labor in the cool, dark tabby barn, gathering their tools and supplies. At night, they closed their eyes to the walls surrounding them. Historic photograph of the slave cabins (Florida State Archives) Today, the slave cabins, barn, kitchen house and main plantation house, built by enslaved people, are lasting relics of a life of bondage and struggle. They may look like ancient ruins, but the slave cabins were built less than two hundred years ago. A Blending of Cultures Tabby represents a blend of West African, Spanish, and Native American cultures. The oyster shells used to make the tabby were mined from shell mounds created by native peoples thousands of years before European arrival in the new world. Tabby Walls The slave cabins were built in the 1820s, during Zephaniah Kingsley’s ownership of the plantation. These buildings have borne witness to nearly two hundred years of history on Fort George Island. For the enslaved people, plantation life revolved around these tabby structures. The tabby slave quarters, barn and kitchen house were centers of activity for the plantation and its workers. By the early eighteenth century, tabby was used both here and in West Africa. It is unclear whether tabby’s origins lie in the coastal southeast or whether the technique was brought from West Africa through the slave trade. A close-up photograph of tabby (NPS) Construction Methods The tabby buildings were constructed by enslaved workers who were skilled carpenters, tabby makers and brick layers. The structures they built 200 years ago remain today. Tabby was created entirely from locally available materials. Oyster shells piled into middens by the Timucua were burned and ground for lime. Sand and water were mixed in, and often whole shells were added to speed the hardening of the tabby and to increase volume and durability. Whole shell tabby was pourable and used much like today’s concrete. This type of construction was used for the slave cabins, kitchen house, and the walls of the barn. Tabby, without the whole shells, could also be made into bricks, which were used in the barn and the first floor of the kitchen kouse, as well as the fireplaces at the slave cabins. If These Walls Could Speak… If these walls could speak, they would speak of a life of bondage. At the slave cabins, the walls would tell about family life in the slave community and families’ struggles to remain courageous and strong in the face of bondage in a strange land. Once it hardened, the whole shell tabby was covered with a protective coat of lime putty, making the walls smooth. Little of this putty remains today. There are holes in the walls of the slave cabins because wooden spreader pins were used to hold the frame parallel during construction. Once the pins were removed, the holes were filled in, but the filler has since deteriorated. Tabby was poured one layer at a time into a wooden mold held in place with spreader pins. for the owner and his family, and the stories told by the enslaved kitchen workers to pass the long day of work and heat. The barn walls would tell about the tools, sacks, bales of cotton, corn, horses and livestock stored in and around the barn. The kitchen walls would recount the preparation of countless meals Near the slave cabins, late 19th century Home Life Tabby proved to be a sturdy, weatherproof material that kept heat out in the summer and held warmth in during the winter. Both warmth and cooking were provided by tabby brick fireplaces. Several of these were later replaced with the red brick fireplaces you see today. Some cabins were larger than others, and some had tabby partition walls inside, while others were one room. Upon completing their daily tasks, slaves tended to their personal needs. This included working their own food plots, cooking, fixing their homes, and raising livestock. Slave families struggled to keep traditions alive, passing along African heritage during the evening work at the cabins. Historic photograph of the slave quarters (NPS) Today, it is difficult to imagine that such a diverse culture could evolve from the institution of slavery. These cabins stand as a testimony to the enslaved men, women, and children that lived on Fort George Island. The tabby preservation project protects the historical craftsmanship and prevents further erosion due to environmental processes by cleaning the buildings and replacing the lime putty coating that the structures had originally. Tabby Today: Preservation Tabby preservation in progress (NPS) For updates on tabby preservation and stabilization, visit our website: http://www.nps.gov/timu It also protects the buildings against their greatest

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Kingsley Plantation Timucuan Preserve Grounds Tour Where to Start… During Florida’s plantation period (1763-1865), Fort George Island was owned by many planters. The site name comes from one of those owners, Zephaniah Kingsley, who owned the plantation from 1814 to 1837. This tour begins at the Slave Quarters. Thirty-two tabby cabins were home to the enslaved workforce. The remains of twenty-five cabins can be seen today. It is hard to imagine that most this 1,000-acre island was used for growing crops during the plantation period. Agricultural use ended around 1900 and since then the fields have reverted back to forest. Kingsley Plantation represents a tumultuous time and place in Florida’s past. The ever-changing political, social, and economic climate greatly affected the lives of both free and slave. Failed crops could bankrupt the owner, which often resulted in slave families being sold apart. Despite the harsh conditions of bondage, slaves not only persevered, but developed a richly diverse culture. The lives of the owners and slaves were closely intertwined. Look for signposts or outdoor exhibits on the grounds with numbers that correspond to the map. Protecting America’s Special Places Stop 1: Slave Quarters Before you begin your tour, please remember that all resources, natural and cultural, are protected in National Park areas. This means all plants, animals, historic structures and objects must be left as you find them. The tabby structures at the slave quarters are very fragile. During your visit you will see deliberate abuse, called vandalism, but visitors also cause damage unintentionally. Help us preserve these historic buildings for future generations. Many slaves worked in the fields, which were located along the dirt road leading into the slave quarters. The main cash crop here was Sea Island cotton. Other crops included sugar cane, corn, beans, and potatoes. On this Sea Island plantation, slaves were assigned according to the task system. A task was a specific amount of work required for each slave to finish daily. • Please do not climb on any part of the buildings or touch the tabby walls. There is a piece of tabby for you to touch next to the restored cabin. • Any objects found might have historic significance to the site, so please leave them where you find them and notify a ranger. • You can also help protect our national treasures by reporting damaging acts to a ranger in the visitor center or by calling (904) 251-3537. While many slaves worked in the fields, other daily tasks included house work or skilled tasks such as carpentry or blacksmithing. When the task was finished, slaves used whatever remained of the day to hunt, fish, garden, or tend to other personal needs. Stop 2: Restored Cabin These structures were built with a material called tabby. Oyster shells, one of the main ingredients, were piled into middens by the Timucua and their ancestors. When planters and slaves first arrived, these shell middens provided abundant building material. Skilled slaves burned the shells to make lime, which was mixed with sand and water. This “concrete” was poured into forms, layer by layer, to make the walls. Slaves might have received cornmeal, molasses, salt and other basic provisions from the plantation owner, but had to grow or gather the rest of their food and supplies on a plot of land provided to them. Enslaved families often chose to grow the food of their African cultures. Yams, okra, blackeyed peas, eggplant, and sesame are a few examples. The slave quarters were the homes for 60 to 80 enslaved families. Each home had a fireplace and “kitchen,” where slaves prepared their nightly meals, as well as a room for sleeping. Stop 3: East End of Slave Quarters The slave quarters at Kingsley Plantation are laid out in a unique way. Instead of a straight line, the houses form a semi-circle. This pattern is similar to village design in some areas of West Africa. Notice that the buildings are not all the same size. The larger ones, at the ends of each row, were given to the Driver and his family for the extra responsibility of managing the daily work assignments and reporting to the owner. The larger Stop 4: Barn Stop 5: Garden cabins were also shared for community activities such as cooking, or were given to slave craftsmen as a show of status. Before continuing to Stop 4, take a moment and look in the direction of the plantation house. During the plantation period this now wooded area would have been an open field, with a clear view of the other plantation buildings. Like the slave quarters, the walls of the barn are made of tabby. This barn had multiple uses such as storage, housing for animals, a work place for slaves, or even living quarters. The oldest part of the barn is the north end, which is made out of tabby brick. Horses, mules, and oxen pulled plows and wagons, and provided power to operate mills. Co

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Kingsley Plantation Timucuan Preserve Grounds Tour For Kids Where am I? This island was once a working plantation. A plantation was a type of farm. Crops were grown and sold for profit. However, unlike a farm, the workers on a plantation were forced into labor against their will and were called slaves. Considered property, a slave was owned by another person and could be sold to someone else at any time. Families could be sold apart from each other. Enslaved people were not paid for their work. This place is called Kingsley Plantation. It is named after one of the owners, Zephaniah (“Zef-uh-NI-uh”) Kingsley, who lived here for over 20 years with his family. This place is important because you can learn about the history of Florida. Follow the map and visit the stops so you can imagine what life was like on a plantation. Take care of this special place! This place is special. You can help keep it safe. Please don’t touch or climb on the walls and buildings. You might damage them or hurt yourself. Leave plants and animals alone, too. They are protected! Stop 1: Looking Past the Slave Quarters Look down the long dirt road. The woods used to be the fields where the slaves worked. Sea Island cotton was the most important crop. They also grew sugar cane, beans, corn, potatoes and other food crops. Working in the fields was one task, or job, that was given to the slaves. Sometimes they also worked inside the owner’s house, cooked, or worked as blacksmiths or carpenters. Stop 2: The Slave Quarters The old cabins you see are where the slaves lived. After finishing a day’s task, slaves returned to their homes. However, their work for the day was not over. Personal needs were tended to, such as growing their own food in their gardens. The cabins were the homes of many fathers, mothers, sons and daughters who worked on the plantation. Each cabin had a fireplace for cooking, light, and warmth. Imagine families gathering around the fireplace after a day of hard work in the fields. The concrete used to build the cabins is called “tabby.” It is made from oyster shells, sand and water. Stop 3: Size and Shape Look at the cabins. Are they all the same size? No, the big ones on the ends were for the families of the Drivers, slaves in charge of other slaves. Are the houses in a straight line? The houses are in a semi-circle shape (half of a circle). Some villages in West Africa are shaped like this. Stop 4: The Barn This stop takes you to the barn. It is also made of tabby. Can you see the shells? The barn housed cows and chickens and many types of tools were stored here. There were pens outside the barn for more animals. Some slaves worked and slept in the barn. Stop 5: The Garden A wide variety of crops were grown when this was a working plantation, a few of which can be seen in this garden. Many crops, such as okra, peanuts, beans, and pumpkins were grown to feed the people who lived on the plantation. Others, such as indigo, were grown for profit. Indigo produced a rich blue dye used in clothing, paints, or even as an ink. By late summer the Sea Island cotton, another cash crop, will be six feet or taller. The luxuriant fibers sold for a handsome profit, all of which went to the owner. Slaves, ten years and older, picked as much as 50 pounds of Sea Island cotton daily from July to December. Each slave could also be tasked to gin (remove) over 20 pounds of seeds each day. Stop 6: The Kitchen Why is the kitchen house separated from the owner’s house? It was separate to prevent the owner’s house from catching on fire. Also, it kept heat, noise, and smells out of the owner’s home. Slaves had to prepare meals for the owner’s family. They combined their African traditions in food and cooking with the recipes and dishes that the owner’s family liked. Stop 7: The Owner’s Home Learn more at: www.nps.gov/timu This house is where many plantation owners and their families lived. Zephaniah Kingsley and his family lived here too. It was built in 1798, making it the oldest plantation house still standing in Florida. During warm weather windows were opened to catch the ocean breezes. This was their air conditioning! Take a moment and compare this house to a slave cabin. Buildings can tell us how people lived. Children in the owner’s home lived in comfort. Those in the slave cabins faced many hardships. Draw your favorite memory! EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA 

KINGSLEY PLANTATION Department of the Interior National Park Service Timucuan Preserve FREEDOM AND SLAVERY IN PLANTATION-ERA FLORIDA During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, many people came to Florida. Some, like Zephaniah Kingsley, sought to make their fortunes by obtaining land and establishing plantations. Others were forced to come to Florida to work on those plantations, their labor providing wealth to the people who owned them. Some of the enslaved would later become free landowners, struggling to keep their footing in a dangerous time of shifting alliances and politics. All of these people played a part in the history of Kingsley Plantation. Plantation House, post-Civil War era major plantation complexes and more than 200 slaves. The Kingsley Family Changing Times In 1814, Zephaniah Kingsley moved to Fort George Island and established a plantation. He brought a wife and three children (a fourth would be born at this plantataion). His wife, Anna Madgigine Jai, was from Senegal, Africa, and was purchased by Kingsley as a slave. She actively participated in plantation management, acquiring her own land and slaves when freed by Kingsley in 1811. Kingsley Plantation Slave Quarters, post-Civil War era With an enslaved work force of about 60, the Fort George plantation produced Sea Island cotton, citrus, sugar cane, and corn. Kingsley continued to acquire property in northeast Florida and eventually possessed more than 32,000 acres, including four The United States acquired Florida from Spain in 1821. Radical political, economic, and social reforms swept in along with the new government. The Spanish had relatively liberal policies regarding issues of race, but American territorial law brought many changes. At a time when many slaveholders feared slave rebellions, oppressive laws were enacted and conditions for Florida’s black population, free and enslaved, deteriorated. Kingsley was against the restrictive laws, arguing the importance of free blacks in society. He advocated Spain’s three class system, where enslaved people existed at the bottom tier, free blacks the middle, and white people as the top class. His pleas were ignored, and over the next two decades, laws were enacted that severely restricted the civil liberties of free blacks. Despite the danger of being ostracized, Kingsley crusaded to alter the views of southern law makers. He wrote a series of editorials, speeches, and addresses, which became public and widely circulated. He became best known for a series of Treatises published in four editions between 1828 and 1834. His words were read throughout the North and the South. Kingsley’s writings warned of the dangers of a society based on racial prejudice, but, at the same time, advocated the continuance of slavery. Frustrated that his words were falling on deaf ears, and to escape what he called a “spirit of intolerant prejudice,” Kingsley moved his family to Haiti, the only free black republic in the hemisphere, in 1837. There, Kingsley established a colony for his family and some of his former slaves. In 1839, Fort George Island was sold to his nephew Kingsley Beatty Gibbs. Zephaniah Kingsley continued to own slaves until his death in 1843. The Slave Community “Few, I think will deny that color and condition, if properly considered, are two very separate qualities… our legislators… have mistaken the shadow for the substance, and confounded together two very different things; thereby substantiating by law a dangerous and inconvenient antipathy, which can have no better foundation than prejudice.” Zephaniah Kingsley, A Treatise on…Slavery, 1829 A fifth of a mile from the plantation home of Zephaniah Kingsley are the remains of 25 tabby cabins. Arranged in a semicircle, there were 32 cabins, 16 on either side of the road. This area represents the slave community, homes of the men, women, and children who lived and worked on Kingsley Plantation more than 170 years ago. Slave labor on this Sea Island cotton plantation was performed according to the “task system.” Under this system, each slave was assigned a specified amount of work for the day and upon completion of this task, the slave was permitted to use the balance of the day as he or she chose. Under the task system, it was assumed that slaves would raise a variety of crops in their own gardens. These products could supplement the slaves’ plantation rations, or be traded or sold through the plantation owner. Slave Daily Life Visiting Kingsley Plantation Most aspects of slave family life were influenced by the needs and attitudes of the plantation owner. Legally, slave marriages were not recognized; the law dealt more with the issues of ownership. Children of enslaved parents belonged to the mother’s owner. Financial difficulties or death of the owner could prompt sales of slaves, separating families. Kingsley Plantation is a 60-acre unit of the 46,000-acre Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve in Jacksonville, Fl

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve St. Johns Bluff: Changing Times, Changing Flags The Timucua and their ancestors lived along the edges of the St. Johns River and St. Johns Bluff for thousands of years before the arrival of the Europeans. For thousands of years, from the first humans to today, the Bluff has provided residents of this area with sustenance and protection. Beginning with French settlement during the sixteenth century and continuing almost to the twentieth, the bluff played a vital role in the military and political issues of the day, flying the flags of five nations from its heights during that history –French, Spanish, English, Confederate and American. French Arrival St. Johns Town The area near St. Johns Bluff was chosen by the earliest European explorers as an ideal location to build a fortification. In 1562 Frenchman Jean Ribault arrived at the St. Johns River and scouted the area for a future location to build a settlement for French Huguenots who were fleeing persecution in Europe. Two years later Rene de Laudonniere returned to settle; under his command Fort Caroline was built. straight to the summit of it, where we found nothing but cedars, palm trees and laurels of such a superb odour that balm was nothing in comparison...As for the beauty of the place, the sea is plain to be seen, and more than six leagues around the Belle River the plains are all cut up into isles and islets by interlacing streams.” Laudonniere described the view from the Bluff in his journal in 1562, and it is a view which can still be seen today by visiting the Ribault Column. “I therefore climbed Fort Caroline was captured by the Spanish and renamed Fort San Mateo in 1565. The Spanish maintained the fort only briefly and for a time the areas around and including the Bluff went unused by a European nation. When Florida came under British control in 1763, citizens from Britain as well as the colonies were encouraged to move to northeast Florida. Many loyalists came south to Florida to escape the American Revolution. Some received land grants and started plantations; others were encouraged to move into the new towns planned by the government, including that of St. Johns Town on St. Johns Bluff. Settlers were lured by such incentives as wharf areas for water access, greenways and community areas, views of the beautiful river, and the supposed health benefits of the sea air. The British also established a fortified battery on St. Johns Bluff to defend against American forces invading East Florida. The population grew rapidly to 1,500 or more and the town soon included 300 houses, shops, a doctor and a clergyman. Poised to become the center for trade for the plantations along the St. Johns River, the fortunes of the town shifted when control of Florida was returned to Spain in 1784. Most of the former British residents abandoned the area, the town was largely dismantled, many homes were taken by ship to new locations still controlled by the British such as the Bahamas, and for the moment the bluff was left essentially deserted, with only three families remaining to live as Spanish subjects. San Vincente Ferrer With the Spanish government once again in control, it recognized the value of the St. Johns River for trade and for access to the interior. Shortly after the new Spanish governor arrived in 1784, he stationed a small detachment of troops at St. Johns Bluff and ordered the establishment of the battery of San Vicente Ferrer in order to control the river, monitor boat traffic, and insure that travelers and traders had the appropriate authorization. Troops stationed at the battery and along the river were charged with finding soldiers that had deserted, locating runaway slaves and delivering them to St. Augustine, and inspecting boats traveling the river. The battery had a gunboat at its disposal to aid in investigations. Plantations on the Bluff By the late 1780s, the potential of the bluff for agricultural development was recognized. Manuel Romera was given 100 acres where Fort Caroline National Memorial now stands and Francisco Estacholy held the fifty acres that surround the Ribault Column today; he also held the position of boss of the post office canoes, which were used for communication up and down the river. Romera and his slaves cultivated the area, still at that time called San Vicente Ferrer, until 1812 when during The Patriots Rebellion a group of rebels seized the abandoned Spanish supply depot located on the bluff. In 1817 Zephaniah Kingsley, who also owned Fort George Island and several other area plantations, purchased both tracts of land and held them until 1838. Subsequent owners farmed the land until life was disrupted by the Civil War; in 1877 the Bluff was confiscated for missed taxes. Civil War In 1861, Florida voted to leave the Union and join with other Southern states in the Confederacy. By late 1862, St. John’