In 1783, the Revolutionary War is almost over – Britain has lost.  In the course of the war, troops of the South Carolina Royalists have paid the price of loyalty to King George by losing everything they own.  Now, there are troubling rumors that the British government intends to return Florida to the Spanish.  For the tiny British garrison at Fort Matanzas National Monument, portrayed by Florida Living History, Inc.’s volunteers, this news means that they have, once again, been cast adrift by the fortunes of war.

Join park staff, volunteers, and Florida Living History, Inc. for a step back in time to British St. Augustine at Fort Matanzas during the Last Outpost of the British Empire Re-enactment Event.  Visitors will be invited to enter into this turbulent time in Florida’s history, where the tiny garrison at Fort Matanzas waits and wonders about their fate. How would it have felt to be at this remote corner of the British Empire while, thousands of miles away, the fate of your nation is being decided?  The men of Matanzas’ garrison go about their daily routine–cooking, drill, washing, mending – unaware of the larger questions of statecraft, loyalty and independence.

Boat tours leave the dock at half past the hour, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m. Free Ferry Boarding passes must be picked up the day of the event at the Fort Matanzas Visitor Center, and are first-come, first-served.  For information, please call 904-471-0116.