▁account ▁of ▁black ▁imm igration ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁from ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁dates ▁back ▁to ▁ 1 6 1 9 , ▁when ▁a ▁small ▁group ▁of ▁volunt ary ▁indent ured ▁workers ▁arrived ▁in ▁Jam est own , ▁Virginia , ▁on ▁a ▁Dutch ▁fr ig ate . ▁The ▁imm igr ants ▁worked ▁as ▁free ▁people ▁until ▁ 1 6 2 9 ▁when ▁a ▁Portuguese ▁vessel ▁arrived ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁ship load ▁of ▁black s ▁captured ▁off ▁the ▁west ▁coast ▁of ▁Africa . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 6 4 0 s ▁Virginia ▁and ▁other ▁states ▁began ▁inst itut ing ▁laws ▁that ▁took ▁away ▁the ▁freedom ▁of ▁black s ▁and ▁re defined ▁them ▁as ▁ch att el ▁or ▁personal ▁property . ▁Tr in idad , ▁like ▁many ▁other ▁islands ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁West ▁Ind ies , ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁clear ing house ▁for ▁slaves ▁en ▁route ▁to ▁North ▁America . ▁The ▁region ▁also ▁acted ▁as ▁a ▁" season ing ▁camp " ▁where ▁newly ▁arrived ▁black s ▁were ▁" bro ken - in " ▁psych olog ically ▁and ▁phys ically ▁to ▁a ▁life ▁of ▁sla very , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁place ▁where ▁they ▁acquired ▁bi ological ▁resistance ▁to ▁dead ly ▁European ▁dise ases . ▁ ▁Second ▁wave ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁ 2 3 , 3 6 7 ▁Tr in idad ian ▁and ▁Tob agon ian ▁imm igr ants , ▁primarily ▁from ▁the ▁educated ▁el ite ▁and ▁rural ▁poor ▁classes , ▁leg ally ▁migr