From Africa to Virginia
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| A circa 1600 copper alloy plaque from the kingdom of Benin is exhibited at Jamestown Settlement. Gift of the Gladys and Franklin Clark Foundation. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation collection. |
Visit Jamestown Settlement to learn more about the first Africans in 17th-century Virginia.
The museum's permanent gallery and a printed family guide highlight the culture of the first known Africans in Virginia, from the kingdom of Ndongo in Angola, and the experience of Africans in 17th-century Virginia.
A dramatic multimedia presentation, "From Africa to Virginia," chronicles African encounters with Europeans, the impact on African culture and development of the transatlantic slave trade.
In the museum's outdoor living-history areas, learn about technology used by Africans in Angola and the skills in fishing and metalworking they brought to 17th-century Virginia.
Discover more about Africans in colonial Virginia with these online resources from the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.
Video Resources
Jamestown Chronicles: Angela - The African
More about Angela
Discovering Jamestown: The West Central Africans
Government and Religion
Culture, Economy and Society
Practice of Slavery
Lauranett L. Lee, Virginia Historical Society curator of African American history, presented “Exploring 17th-Century Virginia: Legislating Boundaries and Creating Culture” on February 12, 2012, as part of the "From Africa to Virginia" Lecture Series at Jamestown Settlement.
Lesson Plan for Students and Image Gallery
Lesson Plan for Students
The People of Jamestown: The Africans
Image Gallery - West Central Africans
Background Historical Essays
Cultures at Jamestown
The Angolan Connection and Slavery in Virginia
The Evolution of the Slave Quarter in Tidewater Virginia
Antislavery Sentiment in Pre-Revolutionary Virginia
