The First African in the Americas' 1528AD...

5fish

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The first African in the Americas was a Moroccan named Estevanico


Snip... this is a good summary of his bio...

Estevanico was born in the port city of Azemmour, Morocco, circa 1503. After a fierce struggle between the Portuguese and local leaders, the Portuguese captured Azemmour in 1513. During the great drought of 1520-21, the Portuguese sold many Moroccans, including Estevanico, into slavery in Europe. Estevanico became the personal servant of Andres de Dorantes of Bejar del Castanar of old Castile. There he was treated well, and master and servant became close friends. In 1527, Dorantes joined an expedition to conquer the unknown lands of Florida. Also on the expedition were Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca and Alonso del Castillo Maldonado. The force landed in Florida on April 12, 1528. Three hundred men made their way on land, through jungles and Indian attacks, sustaining many casualties. The survivors, in desperation to get away, made crude barges and set sail into the open sea, hoping to reach what they believed was the nearby Mexican coast. Only eighty men survived the crossing; the boats capsized on the Texas coast near Galveston.
estevanico

The natives were friendly at first, but then enslaved the explorers. They remained there for five years. Of the eighty, only four survived: Estevanico, Dorantes, Cabeza de Vaca, and Alonso Castillo. In 1534, the four escaped inland and lived among another Indian tribe who coerced them into becoming medicine men. Their methods proved effective, and their reputation as healers spread far and wide. The Indians respectfully called them "The Children of the Sun" because they traveled from the east to the west. Estevanico was especially gifted in languages, and became fluent in several Indian dialects. He carried a medicine rattle, a feathered, beaded gourd given to him by a chief, as his good luck symbol and trademark. Thousands of Indians took turns guiding the travelers through each of their respective lands. The four traveled from the Galveston area west through Texas, up the Rio Grande, through Presidio, and crossing into Mexico near El Paso, they arrived at San Miguel de Culiacan, a small Spanish outpost in Sinaloa, Mexico, in May 1536. From there they traveled to Mexico City, arriving in July of that year.

The Viceroy of Mexico was eager to hear their story, and asked them to lead an expedition back into Arizona and New Mexico. All but Estevanico refused. In February of 1539, he led a small reconnaissance party on foot northward from Culiacan, Mexico. This party was under the command of Franciscan priest Fray Marcos de Niza. Estevanico went ahead of the priest, sending runners back daily bearing wooden crosses to indicate the promise of the country ahead. The crosses grew larger and larger each day. Estevanico arrived in Northwest New Mexico and saw a large village with buildings constructed of stone several tiers high. This was Hawikuh, a Zuni pueblo, and upon discovering it, Estevanico sent a runner back to Fray Marcos with a huge cross. Estevanico's arrival in the village was met with distrust by the Zunis. His medicine gourd was trimmed with owl feathers, a bird that symbolized death to the Zuni. Estevanico was housed outside the village while the elders debated his fate. The next morning, Zuni warriors attacked, and Estevanico was killed.
 

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Here another bio about Estevanico, also spelled Estebanico...


snip...

Estevanico was assuredly the first African to traverse Texas, and, in the company of three Spaniards, reentered Texas from Mexico at La Junta de los Ríos. From La Junta, the trekkers eventually made their way across northwest Mexico to the Pacific Coast. Throughout their travels in both Texas and Mexico, the three Spaniards and Estevanico gained fame and sustenance as faith healers among Indians. After walking south along the Pacific Coast, the four men encountered Spaniards north of San Miguel de Culiacán and then traveled on to Mexico City, arriving there in late July 1536
 

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But wiki has a much more detailed bio on Estevanico...


snip...

There is no certainty as to the cause or manner of Azemmouri's death, and likely never will be. Virtually all stories of his death are based on legend or speculation. Some historians suggest that Azemmouri was killed because the Zuni did not believe Azemmouri's story that he represented a party of white people who were following him. Others speculate that he was killed for demanding turquoise and women.[17] Roberts and Roberts wrote that others suggest that since Estevan, who was black and wore owl feathers and carried a medicine-man's gourd", the Zuni may have determined that he was pretending to be a medicine man, which was punishable by death. Others opine that may have looked like an evil sorcerer who existed in the Zuni religion, the "Chaikwana", usually represented by a black kachina."[18] Juan Francisco Maura suggested in 2002 that the Zunis did not kill Azemmouri, and that he and friends among the Indians faked his death so he could gain freedom from slavery.[19] Some folklore legends say that the Kachina figure, Chakwaina, is based on Azemmouri.
 
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