Arrival of the First Africans in 1619

"First Enslaved African Landing" by Hones interprets the anguish of captives forced into slavery.

Hones

"He brought not any thing but 20. and odd Negroes, which the Governor and Cape Marchant bought for victualls..."

— John Rolfe, 1619

The first ship carrying enslaved Africans arrived at Old Point Comfort on August 25, 1619. An English privateer ship captured them from a Spanish slave ship. The privateer traded the enslaved Africans to English colonists in Virginia for food.

Captured Human Cargo

Slave traders took these men and women from their homes by force. They came from the African kingdom of Ndongo in present-day Angola. They were among 350 Africans bound for a life of slavery and servitude in Spain's New World colonies.

English privateers attacked Spanish the slave ship São João Bautista in the Gulf of Mexico. They took the enslaved Africans by force. One of the privateer ships, the White Lion, brought the enslaved Africans to Old Point Comfort. The point was part of the new English colony of Virginia. There, the White Lion sold 15 women and 17 men to the English colonists.

Uncertain Legal Status

Though they arrived in bondage, their immediate future and legal status was uncertain. The Virginia Colony's laws did not recognize enslavement. It is unclear what their official legal status was. It did not change that they were captives and enslaved against their will. Their sale for wares to the English colonies forced them into lives of servitude.

Essential Skills

The Africans brought skills in farming, herding, blacksmithing, and other trades. Their skills helped the Virginia Colony survive and grow. The Africans also brought their own cultures, languages, and religious beliefs. They made the colony's food production and trades more efficient. They also enriched the colony's culture with music and dance.

Isabella, Antoney, & William

Two of the African arrivals were Isabella and Antoney. A Virginia census lists them along with their son William in the area that would become Hampton. They lived in the home of Captain Tucker, the commander of Fort Algernourne. William is the first known child born of African descent in English North America.

246 Years of Slavery, Four Centuries of Hardship

The arrival of these first Africans began 246 years of slavery in the United States of America. The US abolished slavery in 1865. Their descendants still faced decades of violence, intimidation, and discrimination. Today, Fort Monroe recognizes enslaved Africans and their descendants. Historical places, commemorations, and exhibits tell how they shaped American history and culture.