The 1619 Project and the legacy of slavery
In August 1619, the White Lion, an English privateer ship, landed in Point Comfort, a small settlement in the new colony of Virginia. According to John Rolfe, a Jamestown colonist, the cargo was unique in the history of North America. “20. and odd Negroes” from Angola were sold for food by the privateers “at the best and easyest rate they could.” This event is the official beginning of slavery in what would eventually be the United States (although it should be noted that slaves were present in North America before then.) The New York Times has created the 1619 Project, a set of free resources covering the legacy of slavery, including essays, statistics, maps and creative writing. A map of … Continued