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1619 in Jamestown.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p263.html

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"The Virginia Census of 1619," found in the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 33, Summer 1995, No. 3. by William Thorndale

The census was released March 1619; it covered the count for the previous year of "1618".

Total population of Jamestown was 928 persons. Out of that number was the following:

17 African Females (Non-Christian)

15 African Males (Non-Christian)

4 Indians

We know from Nicolas Ferrar's papers (Founder of the Virginia Company) that the above folks arrived on a dutch frigate.

The 20 or so Angolans who arrived in August 1619 arrived onoard a portuguese slave ship called the San Bautista. It was intercepted & sunk by the British ships, the "Treasuror" and the "White Lion" after all of the people were removed.

On return to Europe, these British ships sailed into Jamestown harbor where John Rolfe provided food in exchange for 20 or so, laborers. Permanent enslavement was illegal under British law so these angolans and possibly the earlier blacks served 3-7 year terms under contract aka "indentured servitude".

They were eventually freed, given property, and other rights & benefits of free men. Those rights would become quite limited as time went on.

In Virginia, permanent enslaved status was given to those africans who arrived to the colonies AFTER 1720. It didn't affect those freedmen were were here prior to that. Most, if not all of the descendents of these free people served during the Revolutionary war..4 of my direct ancestors willingly served.

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1619

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9y ago
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