who was the first african american

The phrase “who was the first African American” is actually too broad to have just one correct answer, because historians talk about several different “firsts,” depending on what you mean by “African American.”

The very first Africans in what became the U.S.

• The first known Black person to arrive in what is now the continental United States with Europeans was Juan Garrido , an African-born conquistador who came with Spanish expeditions and reached Florida in 1513.

• The first recorded Africans in English North America were the “20 and odd Negroes ” who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619 , brought as forced laborers/indentured servants.

These people were African or of African descent on American soil long before the United States existed, which is why some writers say there is no single “first African American.”

The first African American born in the English colonies

If you mean “first person of African ancestry born in what became the United States,” historians usually point to:

• William Tucker – born in 1624 near Jamestown, Virginia, to parents listed as “Antoney and Isabell,” Africans living in the colony. He is often cited as the first child of African ancestry born in English North America.

Because he was born in the colony rather than brought from Africa, some accounts call him the first “African American” in the sense of being both African-descended and American-born.

Why there’s debate about the “first African American”

There’s no universal single name because different historians and articles are really answering different questions, such as:

1. First African person to step onto land that is now the U.S.?
   • Often: Juan Garrido in Spanish Florida (1513).

2. First recorded Africans in the English colonies that became the U.S.?
   • The group of “20 and odd negroes ” in Jamestown (1619).

3. First African‑ancestry child born in the English colonies?
   • William Tucker (Virginia, 1624).

4. First African Americans to achieve other “firsts” (first senator, first governor, etc.)?
   • For example, Hiram Revels was the first African American U.S. senator (Mississippi, 1870).

 * There are long timelines of these “firsts” in politics, arts, science, sports, and more.

So when you see the question “who was the first African American,” the best follow‑up is: first in what sense—first to arrive, first born here, or first to hold a particular role? Different names are correct for different versions of the question.

TL;DR:

• First African in what is now the U.S. (Spanish Florida): often said to be Juan Garrido (1513).

• First recorded Africans in English America: the “20 and odd Negroes” in Jamestown (1619).

• First African‑ancestry child born in the English colonies: William Tucker (Virginia, 1624).