There was not one single “first black person” who reached the colonies in the United States; rather, the earliest known Black individuals to arrive in what is now the U.S. were free Black explorers who came with Spanish expeditions in the early 1500s, centuries before the famous 1619 arrival of enslaved Africans in Virginia.

Quick Answer

  • The first known Black person to set foot in what is now the United States was Juan Garrido , a free West African man who joined Ponce de León’s expedition to Florida in 1513.
  • The first Black people to reach the English colonies (the “United States colonies” in the usual sense) were the ~20 enslaved Africans who arrived at Point Comfort, Virginia, in August 1619.

Juan Garrido: First Black in “America” (Spanish Era)

Juan Garrido was born around 1480 in West Africa, traveled to Lisbon, and later became a Spanish conquistador.

  • In 1513 , he participated in Juan Ponce de León’s expedition to Florida , which is the first recorded Black presence in what is now the United States.
  • He later:
    • Helped Hernán Cortés in Mexico,
    • Sought gold in California,
    • Even reportedly planted the first corn in Mexico.

Garrido was free , not enslaved, which challenges the common idea that “the first Black Americans were slaves”.

Esteban (Estéfano): Another Early Black Explorer

About 20 years after Garrido, another Black explorer, known as Esteban the Moor (also called Estevanico), traveled across the U.S. Southwest:

  • He was part of a Spanish expedition that crossed deserts in Texas and surrounding areas in the 1530s.
  • He acted as a guide and translator , traveled roughly 15,000 miles , and survived with three others after a disastrous journey.

These men were part of the broader story of Black Conquistadors in Spanish America, many of whom are omitted from standard U.S. history narratives.

1619: First Black in the English Colonies

The group most often taught in U.S. schools as the “first Black Americans” refers to enslaved Africans arriving in the English colony of Virginia:

  • In August 1619 , an English privateer ship captured Africans from a Spanish slave ship and brought them to Old Point Comfort, Virginia.
  • About 20 “And Odd” Africans were traded to English colonists for food; this marks the beginning of permanent involuntary Black settlement in the English colonies that became the United States.
  • Among these were Antoney and Isabella , who later had a son named William , the first known child of African descent born in English North America.

Key Differences: Spanish vs. English “Colonies”

Aspect| Juan Garrido / Esteban (Spanish)| 1619 Enslaved Africans (English)
---|---|---
Year| 1513 (Garrido), 1530s (Esteban)| 1619
Location| Florida, Southwest US (Texas, etc.)| Virginia (Point Comfort / Jamestown area)
Status| Free Black explorers/conquistadors| Enslaved (involuntary settlers)
Colonial power| Spanish| English
Commonly taught as “first”| Often omitted in U.S. school curricula| Usually taught as “first in America”

Why the Question Matters

  • The phrase “colonies in the United States” can mean:
    • The English colonies that later became the U.S. (1607–1776), where the 1619 group is the standard answer.
    • Or any early colonial presence in what is now the U.S., where Juan Garrido (1513) is the earliest known Black individual.
  • Historians now emphasize that Black presence in the Americas predates slavery , and that free Black men like Garrido and Esteban were part of early exploration.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.