THAT'S Not In The Tourist Pamphlet!

an ignominious first

Published on March 8, 2005 By Gene Nash In Travel

St. Augustine, Florida is "the oldest, continuously occupied settlement of European origin in North America." When I used my trusty Microsoft Bookshelf to verify I'd spelled St. Augustine correctly in my last article, it spit out this tidbit --

Human Rights and Social Justice, 1581

Spain's Philip II sends some of his black slaves to his Florida colony of St. Augustine. They are the first blacks to be landed in North America.

Well, there's one that's not in the tourist pamphlets! I've been to St. Augustine several times, I even spent three days there on my last trip to Florida, but I don't remember anyone ever mentioning this piece of information.

I've seen the United States' oldest permanent settlement, the place of our first communion, the country's oldest fort, the first wax works, and various other oldests and firsts, but never the place where we first enslaved the black man.

I doubt I'll take a tour anytime soon where a good-ol'-boy guide chews tobaccy and drawls, "Yeppuh, anuh this (spit) spotuh right here (spit) is where weez landed uhs firstuh (spit) negroes."

Do you think if I suggested a new tourist attraction the chamber of commerce would run me out of town?

Comments

greywar

on Mar 08, 2005

Might be worth it just to see the reaction

Gene Nash

on Mar 09, 2005

Might be worth it just to see the reaction

Mmm-hmm. Could be fun.

I'd try to enlist Jesse Jackson's support on the grounds that this ignoring of such an important event is clearly racist, but, rather than help build my tourist attraction, I think he'd keep all the $$$ for himself.

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