First Africans Commemoration

Honoring the First Africans

Angela at the Riverfront by Richard Schlecht (2019).

In late August, 1619 two English ships sailed up the James River carrying kidnapped and enslaved Africans, whom they traded and sold to prominent men at Jamestown. Though no system of slavery was established in England or its colonies, the arrival of these 60+ people marked the beginning of a system of race-based enslavement that would continue for more than 200 years. Join Jamestown Rediscovery to mark this solemn anniversary with lectures, walking tours, and commemorations.

First Africans Commemoration events are included with paid admission to the Preservation Virginia portion of Historic Jamestowne. In the event of bad weather, programs will be moved indoors to the Memorial Church or Archaearium Museum. 

SCHEDULE:

Timed Programs & Tours

11:00am First Africans Walking Tour – Join public historian Mark Summers for a walking tour that explores the context of the fateful arrival of more than 60 Africans who John Rolfe described as “bought for victuals.” At the Pocahontas Statue

12:00pm Angela’s Story, presented by Valarie Gray Holmes  – Angela is one of the only First Africans identified by name in later historic records, but who was she? What was her life like before she came to Jamestown and after? In James Fort

2:00pm Bacon’s Rebellion Walking Tour, with special guest Stephen Seals – This special edition of the Bacon’s Rebellion Walking Tour explores the impact of the failed rebellion on the indentured and enslaved Black individuals who were promised freedom by Nathaniel Bacon. World-renowned historic interpreter Stephen Seals makes a special appearance to conclude the tour. At the Pocahontas Statue

All Day Events

From Fort to Port: Legacies of 1619 – Explore the tobacco boom in Virginia, Jamestown’s development from a fort to a port, as well as the exploitation of Africans, Virginia Indians, and indentured servants at the Natalie P. and Alan M. Voorhees Archaearium Museum