1619 USA Today Infographic

1619 African Slavery History Maps Routes 

My understanding is that AAHGS research shows that the 20 to 30 Angolans who were taken to Virginia were Catholics, were from the merchant or upper class, and may have had their sons go to Portugal to further their education. Portugal had been involved in Angola, or the Kingdom of the Kongo as it was known, for about 140 years. By 1619 there was a mix of cultures and likely some DNA as well. It would be interesting to know if the Angolans who came to Virginia had a somewhat lighter skin color than other tribes in Angola or other differences in appearance.

These people in Virginia likely became part of the Melungeon people who were a mix of sub-Saharan Africa DNA and Mediterranean European DNA, likely from Portugal. The Melungeon also include a mix of Native American DNA. In about 1640, an African American indentured servant named John Punch escaped servitude along with two European indentured servants. When they were caught, John received harsher punishment of enslavement for life while the other two had their years of servitude extended. This injustice was part of the change in laws and court cases in the Virginia that also affected other areas of the colonies.

As the wife of John Punch had a free status, their children were free and became landowners in Virginia. Later the name became Bunch. Eventually the line continues to a woman that is the ancestor on the maternal line of the Barack Obama's mother’s ancestors. That means that Barack Obama likely comes from the first man enslaved in Colonial America (as opposed to first enslaved in Africa then taken there). And he has that link through his white mother. Fascinating!