▁from ▁St . ▁August ine , ▁including ▁the ▁residents ▁of ▁Fort ▁M ose , ▁transport ing ▁them ▁to ▁Cuba . ▁As ▁Britain ▁developed ▁the ▁col ony ▁for ▁plant ation ▁agricult ure , ▁the ▁percentage ▁of ▁slaves ▁in ▁the ▁population ▁in ▁twenty ▁years ▁rose ▁from ▁ 1 8 % ▁to ▁almost ▁ 6 5 % ▁by ▁ 1 7 8 3 . ▁ ▁Virginia ▁and ▁Ch es ape ake ▁Bay ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁recorded ▁Afr icans ▁in ▁Virginia ▁arrived ▁in ▁late ▁August ▁ 1 6 1 9 . ▁The ▁White ▁Lion , ▁a ▁private er ▁ship ▁owned ▁by ▁Robert ▁Rich , ▁ 2 nd ▁Earl ▁of ▁War wick ▁but ▁flying ▁a ▁Dutch ▁flag , ▁dock ed ▁at ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Old ▁Point ▁Com fort ▁( located ▁in ▁modern - day ▁Ham pton ) ▁with ▁approximately ▁ 2 0 ▁Afr icans . ▁They ▁were ▁capt ives ▁from ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁present - day ▁Ang ola ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁seized ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁crew ▁from ▁a ▁Portuguese ▁slave ▁ship , ▁the ▁" S ão ▁João ▁B aut ista ". ▁ ▁To ▁obtain ▁the ▁Afr icans , ▁the ▁Jam est own ▁col ony ▁trad ed ▁prov isions ▁with ▁the ▁ship . ▁ ▁These ▁individuals ▁appear ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁treated ▁as ▁indent ured ▁servants , ▁since ▁slave ▁laws ▁were ▁not ▁passed ▁until ▁later , ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 1 ▁in ▁Massachusetts ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 1 ▁in ▁Virginia . ▁ ▁Some ▁number ▁of ▁the ▁col ony ' s ▁early ▁Afr icans ▁earned ▁freedom ▁by ▁ful