The African Cemetery at Higgs Beach is a cemetery in

Key West, Florida Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...

where 294 of 1,342 Africans died soon in the first few months after being rescued in 1860 from captured slave ships. The cemetery was discovered in 2002 using ground-penetrating

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

. On June 26, 2012, it was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

Gallery

File:African Cemetery Historic Marker.jpg, alt=, African Cemetery Historic Marker File:African Cemetery - Key West, FL.jpg, alt=, African Cemetery at Higgs Beach - June 2020

References

External links

* {{National Register of Historic Places in Florida African-American history of Florida Landmarks in Key West, Florida History of Key West, Florida National Register of Historic Places in Key West, Florida Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida 2002 archaeological discoveries 1860s establishments in Florida African-American cemeteries