Arrival of the First Africans in 1619

A state historical marker at Fort Monroe on Old Point Comfort notes the arrival of the Africans to Virginia in 1619.

NPS Photo

"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 its human cargo 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 slave ship São João Bautista in the Gulf of Mexico. One of the privateers, the White Lion, brought their captured human cargo to Old Point Comfort. Old Point Comfort was part of the new English colony of Virginia. There, White Lion sold about thirty Africans 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. These first Africans may have been more like indentured servants. Indenture would have allowed the Africans to work toward their eventual freedom.

Skilled Farmers & Workers

The Africans brought skills in farming, herding, blacksmithing, and other trades. They helped Virginia Colony survive and grow. The Africans also brought their own cultures, languages, and religious beliefs. These skills and changed the colony's food production, music, and dance.

Isabell, Antoney, & William

We know the name of two of the African arrivals; Isabell and Antoney. A Virginia census lists them with their son William in Hampton. They lived in the home of Captain William 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.