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News / Photos / News / Photos: US marks the arrival of Angela, the ‘Eve’ of enslaved Africans

Photos: US marks the arrival of Angela, the ‘Eve’ of enslaved Africans

Updated On Aug 23, 2019 01:43 PM IST

In the historic Jamestown of east Virginia, archeologists along with historians are working hard to retrace bits of the life of Angela, who arrived here from Africa 400 years ago. Angela was one of the first African slaves known to reach the first permanent English settlement in North America, which would later be part of the United States. Her arrival with her fellow Africans also marks the beginning of a dark period of US history: 250 years of slavery followed by a long period of racial segregation, the repercussions of which are still felt in American society.

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Superintendent of Fort Monroe National Monument, Terry E. Brown, is seen near a historical marker at the fort, in Hampton, Virginia. Brown and his team are preparing a series of events on August 23-25 to celebrate the “contributions” of Africans to US society. “The more we gather around, the more we talk, the easier it is to break with the insidiousness of racism,” said Brown, who discovered through a DNA test that his ancestors came from Cameroon. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Updated on Aug 23, 2019 01:43 PM IST

Superintendent of Fort Monroe National Monument, Terry E. Brown, is seen near a historical marker at the fort, in Hampton, Virginia. Brown and his team are preparing a series of events on August 23-25 to celebrate the “contributions” of Africans to US society. “The more we gather around, the more we talk, the easier it is to break with the insidiousness of racism,” said Brown, who discovered through a DNA test that his ancestors came from Cameroon. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

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Archaeologist Charde Reid works at an archaeological dig site associated with Angela (initially documented as Angelo), the first documented African woman to arrive in the Virginia Colony. “I see a lot of connections with my own family’s background, and what began here, in 1619,” said Reid, a 32-year-old African-American Virginia native. She calls the first slaves to reach the state “our foremothers and our forefathers -- of not only African-American culture, but American culture in general.” (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Updated on Aug 23, 2019 01:43 PM IST

Archaeologist Charde Reid works at an archaeological dig site associated with Angela (initially documented as Angelo), the first documented African woman to arrive in the Virginia Colony. “I see a lot of connections with my own family’s background, and what began here, in 1619,” said Reid, a 32-year-old African-American Virginia native. She calls the first slaves to reach the state “our foremothers and our forefathers -- of not only African-American culture, but American culture in general.” (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

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An exhibit showing life in Angola, Africa, is seen at the Jamestown Settlement. At the time, Portuguese and Spanish slave traders had already been selling Africans as labourers in the Americas -- Brazil, for instance -- for nearly a century. Originally from the kingdom of Ndongo, in what is now Angola, Angela was loaded onto a Portuguese ship in Luanda, which then headed to Veracruz, in the Spanish colony of modern-day Mexico. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Updated on Aug 23, 2019 01:43 PM IST

An exhibit showing life in Angola, Africa, is seen at the Jamestown Settlement. At the time, Portuguese and Spanish slave traders had already been selling Africans as labourers in the Americas -- Brazil, for instance -- for nearly a century. Originally from the kingdom of Ndongo, in what is now Angola, Angela was loaded onto a Portuguese ship in Luanda, which then headed to Veracruz, in the Spanish colony of modern-day Mexico. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

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Nearly a third of the 350 slaves died before the Atlantic crossing was complete because of the dire conditions on board the vessel. And before reaching Veracruz, two privateer ships attacked the Portuguese vessel and snatched about 60 Africans, according to James Horn, president of the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation in charge of the dig. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Updated on Aug 23, 2019 01:43 PM IST

Nearly a third of the 350 slaves died before the Atlantic crossing was complete because of the dire conditions on board the vessel. And before reaching Veracruz, two privateer ships attacked the Portuguese vessel and snatched about 60 Africans, according to James Horn, president of the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation in charge of the dig. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

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People view an exhibit about slavery at the Jamestown Settlement in Virginia. The first of the two, the White Lion, arrived in Virginia in “the latter end of August” 1619, wrote John Rolfe, a wealthy English settler who was the husband of Pocahontas, whose father was a powerful native American tribal leader. The second ship, the Treasurer, arrived soon thereafter, dropping off a small group (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Updated on Aug 23, 2019 01:43 PM IST

People view an exhibit about slavery at the Jamestown Settlement in Virginia. The first of the two, the White Lion, arrived in Virginia in “the latter end of August” 1619, wrote John Rolfe, a wealthy English settler who was the husband of Pocahontas, whose father was a powerful native American tribal leader. The second ship, the Treasurer, arrived soon thereafter, dropping off a small group (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

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Visitors look at reproduction of common 17th century items at the Jamestown Settlement. The only woman whose name was preserved for history was Angela, “the first documented African woman in Virginia,” said Bly Straube, the curator at the Jamestown Settlement, a living history museum. “To me, the story is sort of like Eve,” Straube said. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Updated on Aug 23, 2019 01:43 PM IST

Visitors look at reproduction of common 17th century items at the Jamestown Settlement. The only woman whose name was preserved for history was Angela, “the first documented African woman in Virginia,” said Bly Straube, the curator at the Jamestown Settlement, a living history museum. “To me, the story is sort of like Eve,” Straube said. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

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People view an exhibit about slavery at the Jamestown Settlement. Angela and her fellow Africans marks the beginning of a dark period of US history: 250 years of slavery followed by a long period of racial segregation, the repercussions of which are still felt in American society. The enslaved Africans arrived shortly after settlers founded the first local legislature on July 30, 1619 -- in what Horn calls a “paradox” of history. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Updated on Aug 23, 2019 01:43 PM IST

People view an exhibit about slavery at the Jamestown Settlement. Angela and her fellow Africans marks the beginning of a dark period of US history: 250 years of slavery followed by a long period of racial segregation, the repercussions of which are still felt in American society. The enslaved Africans arrived shortly after settlers founded the first local legislature on July 30, 1619 -- in what Horn calls a “paradox” of history. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

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A path is seen above what is believed to have been the road used by some of the first Africans, including Angela to arrive and become slaves in Virginia. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Updated on Aug 23, 2019 01:43 PM IST

A path is seen above what is believed to have been the road used by some of the first Africans, including Angela to arrive and become slaves in Virginia. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

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An archaeologist cleans what he believes is part of a drinking glass at a dig site associated with Angela. About 30 Africans in all were counted in Virginia in early 1620. Angela’s name appears in the colony’s census documents in 1624 and 1625 -- she is listed as “Angelo.” Some historians disagree on her actual name, which was probably given by the Portuguese. But all agree that she was a slave to the wealthy Pierce family. She likely worked in the house and the orchards, according to Straube. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Updated on Aug 23, 2019 01:43 PM IST

An archaeologist cleans what he believes is part of a drinking glass at a dig site associated with Angela. About 30 Africans in all were counted in Virginia in early 1620. Angela’s name appears in the colony’s census documents in 1624 and 1625 -- she is listed as “Angelo.” Some historians disagree on her actual name, which was probably given by the Portuguese. But all agree that she was a slave to the wealthy Pierce family. She likely worked in the house and the orchards, according to Straube. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

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Archaeologists work in an area of a dig site associated with Angela. It was only 40 years after Angela’s arrival, in around 1660, that several English colonies in North America decreed that slave status would be transmitted via the mother. Interracial marriage was banned, a prohibition that continued in some US states well into the 20th century. After 1625, Angela disappears from the records, but her name is now more than ever in the spotlight in Jamestown. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Updated on Aug 23, 2019 01:43 PM IST

Archaeologists work in an area of a dig site associated with Angela. It was only 40 years after Angela’s arrival, in around 1660, that several English colonies in North America decreed that slave status would be transmitted via the mother. Interracial marriage was banned, a prohibition that continued in some US states well into the 20th century. After 1625, Angela disappears from the records, but her name is now more than ever in the spotlight in Jamestown. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

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