Escaping to FreedomIn 1739, when my new novel, South to F...

Escaping to Freedom

In 1739, when my new novel, South to Freedom, is set, the Spanish in Florida had already begun granting freedom to escaping slaves who would convert to Catholicism. It started in 1687, when a group of enslaved Africans escaped from Carolina and rowed to shore in Florida. They requested asylum and pledged to convert to Catholicism, something that pleased the Spanish authorities, who granted their request.
This set a precedent, and in 1693, King Charles II of Spain signed a royal decree granting freedom to any slave from English colonies who came to Florida and embraced Catholicism. It wasn't only for religious concerns, but it would also undermine the British work force and power in the New World while bolstering that of colonial Spain.
In South to Freedom, a small group of slaves leave their plantation in Monck's Corner, South Carolina, to head for freedom in Florida. They would brave the elements, limited rations, swamps, wildlife, and slavecatchers to get there, not sure of what they would find at the end of their journey. Find out what that is next Monday as the story continues.

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