Historians have limited the American story to a single English European perspective. By doing so, we ignore a wealth of contributions. The predominant narrative in American history is that the first Africans came to the American colonies in 1619. Even though this is a historical moment in our history, it is not completely accurate. Many Africans arrived on the continent well before this date. Spanish exploration began in the Americas around the 1500s. They were ruthless explorers who undertook large expeditions requiring vast amounts of labor. The Spanish could not fill their needs solely from their ranks. They turned to forced labor from infidels or Non-Catholics. These “infidels” came primarily from Africa and indigenous people encountered during their expeditions. From the early beginnings of Spanish exploration free and enslaved Africans were members of expeditions. Their physical labor was used to clear land for plantations, mine gold and silver, and construct fortitudes. African intellect and courage were harnessed by using them as soldiers, sailors, interpreters, and servants. In June 1527, Pánfilo de Narváez set sail from Spain with five ships to explore the Florida region. His expedition included about 600 men, including some Africans. After landing in what is now Tampa Bay, the expedition experienced a series of missteps ending with the survival of only 4 crew members - Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, Alonso del Castillo Maldonado and the African slave Estevanico (Esteban). Estevanico was a Spanish-speaking African who learned to communicate with the indigenous people they encountered in the American southwest. His skills as an interpreter and guide were used in a later 1530s Spanish expedition of the Colorado Plateau in New Mexico. The Spanish sailed the Gulf Stream currents from their Caribbean colonies back to Spain. These currents took them past Florida. The Spanish ships which often carried gold were targets for pirates who attacked them along the Florida coastline. In 1565, a Spanish garrison was built in St. Augustine, Florida to provide protection for these ships. St. Augustine became the first permanent non-indigenous settlement in North America. Africans were heavily involved in building St. Augustine. By the 1600s nearly 100 mostly-Spanish speaking Africans were living in St. Augustine. Some had accepted Christianity and practiced the Catholic faith. Historical documents from the Catholic church in St. Augustine records the birth and baptism of the first African slave born in America as 1606. Juan Rodriguez was a free mulatto from what is now the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez was the son of a Spanish or Portuguese father and an African mother. He was the first person with African heritage to choose to live in America. In 1613, he was a member of a Dutch trading vessel that stopped in what is now Manhattan, New York to trade furs with the Lenape people before continuing to Holland. Rodriguez demanded to stay in the area and began a profitable fur trading practice. Rodriguez was the first permanent non-indigenous settler and merchant in Manhattan, NY. The African presence in the Americas can be documented even prior to the events mentioned here. The ancestors of today’s African-Americans made rich and significant contributions of skill, courage and resourcefulness to our American story. The foundation for black wealth is anchored in these historical realities with global significance.
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AuthorRamona Dallum Lindsey is an artist, speaker and curious citizen who finds strength in the wisdom of her elders. Archives
February 2019
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