"A Minorcan Mystery, Where Are They?" By Robert P. Jones

The Minorcans of St. Augustine are a culturally rich community with roots in Spanish, Catalan, Italian and Greek traditions. These several ethnicities involved in this odyssey became known as "Minorcans". Despite their significant role in American history, their story largely goes untold, confined to the local awareness in St. Johns County Florida. This oversight is amplified by the absence of Minorcan history from educational curricula and the haunting fact that the graves of 964 Minorcans in New Smyrna Beach have never been found. Their story is not just a local curiosity; it serves as a lens to explore the distinctions between indentured servitude and enslavement, providing a more nuanced understanding of Florida's multicultural history. After nine years of toiling in Dr. Andrew Turnbull's New Smyrna Colony, the Minorcans were freed from indenture and undertook a perilous 70-mile journey to St. Augustine in 1777. Their legacy endures through a multitude of descendants.