New York Times 1619 Project
Official description from the New York Times:
The 1619 Project is a major initiative from The New York Times observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history, understanding 1619 as our true founding, and placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of the story we tell ourselves about who we are.
- 1619 Project -- The New York Times MagazineThe site contains essays, original poetry and writing, and multimedia content from a variety of contemporary artists, historians, and scholars.
- 1619: Download the NYT series on Apple PodcastsIn August of 1619, a ship carrying more than 20 enslaved Africans arrived in the English colony of Virginia. America was not yet America, but this was the moment it began. No aspect of the country that would be formed here has been untouched by the 250 years of slavery that followed. On the 400th anniversary of this fateful moment, it is time to tell the story.
1619 Primary Sources
- Letter from John Pory referencing the ship Treasurer, which later brought enslaved Africans to Virginia, 1619From Virtual Jamestown, John Pory's letter describing his life in Virginia, the commissioning of the ship the Treasurer to attack Spanish ships in the West Indies, and the state of agriculture in the colony.
- Jamestown 1624/5 Muster RecordsThis 1624/25 muster database includes information about household members, including in many cases their age, when they arrived in Virginia, and which ship they arrived on. This muster records the names of the first Africans present in Jamestown.
- Image 267 of Records of the Virginia Company, 1606-26, Volume III: Miscellaneous RecordsThe often quoted text from John Rolfe regarding the arrival of the enslaved Africans in Point Comfort appears in this record. The text reads, “He brought not anything but 20. and odd Negroes, w[hich] the governo[r] and Cape Marchant bought for victualle (whereof he was in greate need as he pretended) at the best and easyest rate they could.”
Historic Jamestowne and the First Africans
- The First Africans: Jamestown Rediscovery/Historic JamestowneThis page recounts a short history of what is known about the enslaved Africans who were brought to Point Comfort and sold there in 1619.
- The Story of AngeloDetails about two important historical documents on display as part of an exhibition.
Articles and Opinion Pieces about Marking 1619
- The Hopefulness and Hopelessness of 1619: Marking the 400-year African American struggle to survive and to be free of racismIbram X. Kendi, Director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University, wrote an examination of what marking the events of 1619 means in a cultural and historical context.
- Race/RelatedSign up to join a deep and provocative exploration of race, identity and society with New York Times journalists.
- Beyond 1619: Slavery and the Cultures of AmericaLibrary of Congress post by Stephanie Hall.
1619 Landing
Dutch man-of-war with enslaved people landing at Jamestown, 1619
Appeared in Harper's Weekly in 1901, probably a copy from an earlier painting. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.