Francisco Menéndez: An Unsung Hero (2006) PDF

Name: Class: Francisco Menéndez: An Unsung Hero By Jane Landers 2006 In this informational text, Jane Landers discuss the life and ac...

Name: Class: Francisco Menéndez: An Unsung Hero By Jane Landers 2006 In this informational text, Jane Landers discuss the life and accomplishments of Francisco Menéndez, who escaped slavery and never stopped fighting for his freedom. As you read, take notes on how Menéndez challenged English colonists in America. While many of the African American colonial heroes are little known today, records do tell of a Mandingo man from West Africa by the name of Francisco Menéndez. In 1715, Menéndez and other enslaved Africans joined the Yamassee Indian War against English colonists in South Carolina. When the war turned in favor of the English, the Yamassees and their African allies fled south to Spanish Florida. Why did Menéndez choose Spanish Florida for their new home? Spanish colonists held slaves, just as the English colonists to the north did, but Spanish law recognized slaves as human beings as well as property. Under "Untitled" by unknown is used with permission. the Spanish, slaves could buy their freedom or win it by brave deeds, such as military service. Spain’s state religion, Roman Catholicism, also encouraged non-Christians to convert1 to the “true faith.” This is why, in 1687, a group of slaves stole a canoe and escaped from Carolina to Florida. Once in St. Augustine, they requested Catholic baptism. Other slaves soon followed, and Florida’s governor asked Spain what to do. In 1693, King Philip II issued a decree “giving liberty to all... the men as well as the women... so that by their example and by my liberality others will do the same.” This decree changed Spanish policy and shaped the politics of the Southeast and the Caribbean for years to come. This decree gave Menéndez and his followers hope that they, too, could be free in Spanish Florida. Even before Menéndez was officially freed, the Spaniards2 named him captain of the 1. to change someone’s religious faith or beliefs 2. people from Spain 1  Black Militia. Menéndez led his men in several battles against English forces that repeatedly attacked Spanish Florida. He also led expeditions back to Carolina to rescue other Africans from slavery. In 1738, Florida’s governor freed Menéndez and authorized him to establish a town named Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose. Menéndez and the new homesteaders3 of Mose wrote to the king of Spain to express their gratitude and vowed to be “the most cruel enemies of the English.” They also promised to risk their lives and spill their “last drop of blood in defense of the Great Crown of Spain and the Holy Faith.” Shortly after, England declared war on Spain, and, in 1740, English troops invaded Florida and occupied Mose. Menéndez’s troops helped retake Mose and the governor recognized their bravery in reports to the king. Menéndez, who was literate4 in Spanish (and probably in Arabic) wrote the king two letters recounting his military services. Hoping to travel to Spain to seek his reward in person, Menéndez became a corsair — a state-sponsored pirate. On one voyage, Englishmen captured him and sold him into slavery in the Bahamas. But by 1759, the unconquerable Menéndez had regained his freedom and the leadership of Mose. After Spain ceded5 Florida to England in the peace treaty of 1762, Menéndez and the people of Mose, along with other Floridians, relocated to Cuba. Once in Cuba, the Spanish gave each refugee land, food, tools, and an African slave. Menéndez and other black Floridians then helped establish a new town called San Agustín de la Nueva Florida (Spanish for: St. Augustine of New Florida). Harsh conditions on the Cuban frontier eventually drove Menéndez and his family back to the city of Havana, where he ended his days. Menéndez spent more than 50 years fighting for freedom and more than 40 years serving the king of Spain who had freed him. As more historians begin to track black history through Spanish documents, the stories of more unsung colonial heroes with stories similar to Francisco Menéndez’s will be uncovered. "Francisco Menéndez: An Unsung Hero" by Jane Landers, Footsteps, © by Carus Publishing Company. Reproduced with permission. All Cricket Media material is copyrighted by Carus Publishing Company, d/b/a Cricket Media, and/or various authors and illustrators. Any commercial use or distribution of material without permission is strictly prohibited. Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license 3. people who lived and worked on the land 4. able to read and write 5. gave up 2  Text-Dependent Questions Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences. 1. PART A: Which of the following describes the central idea of the text? A. Menéndez gained his freedom in Spanish Florida and rose to a position of power. B. Menéndez convinced the king of Spain that slavery was an immoral practice. C. Menéndez rejected both the English and Spanish because they kept African slaves. D. Menéndez was a clear leader but was forced to be a slave because of his skin color. 2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. "Spanish colonists held slaves, just as the English colonists to the north did" (Paragraph 3) B. "King Philip II issued a decree 'giving liberty to all... the men as well as the women'" (Paragraph 3) C. "Florida's governor freed Menéndez and authorized him to establish a town named Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose." (Paragraph 4) D. "On one voyage, Englishmen captured him and sold him into slavery in the Bahamas." (Paragraph 5) 3. How did the Spanish treat enslaved people differently from how the English treated enslaved people? A. The Spanish gave enslaved people land for their services. B. The Spanish treated enslaved people as if they were citizens. C. The Spanish did not force enslaved people to do physical labor. D. The Spanish gave enslaved people the chance to achieve freedom. 4. How does paragraph 3 contribute to the development of ideas in the text? A. It describes how slavery was ended in the English colonies. B. It provides information about English and Spanish colonists. C. It explains how Spanish and English colonists divided the Americas. D. It describes how slavery affected the regions controlled by Spain and England. 3 5. What impact did Menéndez have on slavery after he was freed? A. He fought to end slavery across all of America. B. He turned his back on other slaves in the Americas. C. He worked to end the Spanish enslavement of Africans. D. He worked to free other Africans enslaved by the English. 6. Which quote from the texts highlights one of the likely reasons Menéndez is remembered today? A. "So, in 1687, a group of slaves stole a canoe and escaped from Carolina to Florida." (Paragraph 3) B. "Menéndez spent more than 50 years fighting for freedom and more than 40 years serving the king of Spain" (Paragraph 7) C. "Menéndez and the new homesteaders of Mose wrote to the king of Spain to express their gratitude" (Paragraph 5) D. "On one voyage, Englishmen captured him and sold him into slavery in the Bahamas." (Paragraph 5) 7. Which of the following describes the author's overall purpose in the text? A. to highlight how the Spanish provided better opportunities for enslaved people B. to provide information about an influential African American colonial hero C. to criticize history books for excluding African American colonial heroes D. to compare how Spanish and English colonists treated enslaved people 8. How does the author's discussion of Menéndez's experiences as a slave highlight his toughness? Use evidence from the text to support your answer 4  Discussion Questions Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion. 1. In the text, the author describes Menéndez as a hero. Which of his actions do you think were heroic? What characteristics do you typically assign to a hero and why? 2. The text describes how the stories of African American colonial heroes typically go untold. Why do you think this is? Why is it important that these stories are shared? 3. In the text, the author provides multiple examples of how Menéndez was a leader. What challenges do you think he faced as a leader? How do you think he was able to overcome these challenges? 5