The 1816 destruction of Negro Fort marks the only instance of the United States demolishing a freed-slave community on foreign soil.
Key Facts
- Fort built
- 1814, during the War of 1812
- Destroyed
- July 27, 1816
- Casualties inflicted
- Nearly 300
- Muskets salvaged
- 2,500 muskets
- Attacking commander
- Colonel Duncan L. Clinch
- Fort Gadsden built
- 1818, on same site
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the War of 1812, British forces constructed Negro Fort in Spanish Florida to support a planned attack on the United States through its southwest border, intending to destabilize American southern states. After British withdrawal, the fort became a refuge for hundreds of escaped enslaved people and their allies, alarming U.S. authorities who viewed it as a threat to the institution of slavery.
On July 27, 1816, U.S. forces under Colonel Duncan L. Clinch, aided by Creek allies, attacked Negro Fort. A heated cannonball struck the fort's powder magazine, triggering a massive explosion that killed nearly 300 of the fort's occupants. Salvaged weapons—including approximately 2,500 muskets, 50 carbines, and 400 pistols—were awarded to the Creek fighters as war booty.
The destruction of Negro Fort marked the only known case of the United States attacking a freed-slave community on foreign soil. Despite this, the region continued to draw escaped Africans seeking freedom, prompting the U.S. to construct Fort Gadsden on the same site in 1818 to maintain control over the area and deter future settlements.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Colonel Duncan L. Clinch.
Side B
1 belligerent