Lament and Hope: A Pan African Quad-Centennial Devotional Guide - Flipbook - Page 10
FEBRUARY
Lament and
Hope in Angola
A History of
Migration,
Immigration and
Enslavement
Depiction of the San Juan Bautista’s battle against the two English corsairs,
the Treasurer and the White Lion. Painting by Richard C. Moore
“In the summer of 1619, after the war of resistance in Angola, 350 enslaved Angolans were robbed.
They were put on a ship called the Juan Bautista, which was bound for Vera Cruz, on the coast
of Mexico. Their spiritual resilience kept some of them alive despite horrific torture while others
perished at sea. While at sea, two English ship privateers, the White Lion and the Treasurer, attacked
the San Juan Bautista and robbed 50-60 enslaved Angolans from the ship. The two privateers
then sailed to Virginia where the White Lion arrived at Point Comfort, or present-day Hampton,
Virginia in August. John Rolfe, a prominent planter and merchant (and formerly the husband of
Pocahontas), reported that ‘20 and odd Negroes’ were ‘bought for victuals.’ The majority of the
Angolans were acquired by wealthy and well-connected English planters... The Africans were sold
into bondage despite Virginia having no clear-cut laws sanctioning slavery until 1705. From 1619 to
1705, the records show that Africans fought and resisted enslavement primarily through the courts.’”
Source: https://historicjamestowne.org/history/the-first-africans/
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LAMENT and HOPE: A Pan-African Devotional Guide