Royal Decree from Spanish King Charles II on enslaved peoples who escaped to St. Augustine

At the time, Florida was controlled by the Spanish and the rest of the south by the British. Six years earlier, ten enslaved people and a very young child made a daring escape and showed up to the Spanish Fort Augustine, requesting baptism. It's possible they were manipulating religious politics to their advantage, or genuinely wanted to convert to Catholocism. Either way, they were admitted to the Fort where they were paid wages, and the Governor refused to return them to slave raiders. This news spread through the grapevine of enslaved peoples and some reports then say 'daily' enslaved peoples were showing up to Fort Augustine. The bravery and risk these enslaved people took, forced the Spanish officials to request from the crown how to handle the refugees, which led to this proclamation by King Charles instructing Spanish authorities to 'Give liberty to all the men as well as the women'. While this proclamation is historically significant it was not due to the goodness of the King but forced by enslaved peoples actions and political and military motivations of the Spanish against the British. These Freed people at this Fort and throughout Florida formed a new society known as Maroons, Afro-Seminoles, and Black Seminoles associated with various Native peoples in the area including Muskogee, Miccosukee, Choctaw, Apalachacola, Yuchis, and Yamasees.