On August 20, 1619, The First 20 African Settlers Arrived In The United States As Indentured Servants, Landing In Jamestown Colony, Virginia.
They Arrived On A Dutch Ship Under The Command Of Captain Jope And An English Pilot Named Marmaduke.
The Ship Was Headed For The West Indies But Had Been Thrown Off Course When It Was Robbed By Pirates.
That Event, Which Changed The Lives Of African Americans Forever, Received Only A Few Lines In Colonist, John Rolfe's Journal. He Wrote: "...there came a Dutch man of warre that sold us 20 Negars."
The Africans Arrived With Spanish Names -- Antoney, Isabella, And Pedro. Four Or Five Years Later Antoney And Isabella Give Birth To The First African American Child, William Tucker.
During The Colonial Era, Indentured Servitude Was Legal And Quite Common Among Blacks And Whites. Most Of The Early European Arrivals To America Came Under That System.
People Could Be Forced Into Servitude For A Variety Of Reasons, Including The Commission Of Crimes. Upon Completion Of Their Terms Of Servitude, Indentured Servants Were Free To Find Other Work Or Set Up Their Own Plantations.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
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