1619

In the summer of 1619, 350 captives were put on board the Portuguese ship, San Juan Bautista. It set sail from Luanda, Angola heading for Vera Cruz, on the coast of Mexico. Two ships, the White Lion, and the Treasurer, both English privateers, attacked the San Juan Bautista and robbed it of 50-60 Africans. They then set sail for Point Comfort, now Hampton, Virginia. In need of food and water, the White Lion traded over 20 of the Africans they had taken. At this time Virginia had no laws concerning slavery but despite this, the Africans were sold into bondage.