My ancestors came from the New Smyrna colony originally. The story is fairly fascinating. A total prick from Scotland got a royal warrant from the crown to bring over 500 souls to the New World to create an Indigo Dye Plantation in New Smyrna. This enterprising bastard then cruised around the meditarranean looking for people to join him. His first stop was in Greece where he picked up a few souls (hence the name New Smyrna) and his second stop was the Belearic Islands off the coast of Spain where he loaded up the ships with a bunch of Menorcans. (Menorca is the small island next to Majorca)
At any rate, he exceeded his 500 settler approval to the tune of 3500 people. The second he got to New Smyrna with promises "if you don't like it, we'll ship you home" he welched on the deal, subjugated the people, and brought in slave masters from the North Carolina colonies.
Within a few short years, nearly 3000 people died under slavery. One of my ancestors as a child fled the slave colony at night and made his way to the Castillo of St Augustine where he told the Governor just what had happened in New Smyrna. The Governor of St. Augustine sent down a garrison and liberated the slaves at New Smyrna, giving them quarter at St. Augustine.
Yep. White slaves in America. True story blackwashed out of the history books. The Menorcans still live in St. Augustine nearly 300 years later, but they quickly Anglicized their names thinking being British colonials was good for survival. Bonelli's are Bonnelleys. Arnaus are Arnows, etc.
It's one of the coolest places to visit in America. Smoking a fresh rolled cigar in the Old Quarter after a good tapas meal is one of the best things in life.
