In 1619 a woman was kidnapped from her home in the Kingdom of Ndongo, part of modern-day Angola Africa and brought to the continent of North America. She was given the name Angela. Among a group of approximately 20 captives taken from a Portuguese slave ship commandeered by English pirates, Angela is believed to be the first African woman enslaved in the colony of Jamestown. Transported aboard a ship called the White Lion, she was brought to Point Comfort, today known as Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. In 1624, records place Angela in Jamestown, living in the household of Captain William Peirce, a wealthy merchant and planter. Her presence is noted in the 1625 Virginia Muster, one of the few official documents mentioning her. While little is known about her life beyond this, Angela represents the earliest presence of Africans in what would become the United States and the beginnings of racial slavery in North America. Her story is a crucial part of American history.
The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of Black American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.
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