Africans have had a presence in Texas for almost 500 years, maybe
longer. The territory was the northernmost area of New Spain (Mexico) in
1528 when Esteban (a.k.a. Estevanico), a Moroccan Moor servant, waded
ashore with a group of Spanish conquistadors near what is now Galveston
Island and established himself as the first known black African in what
would become Texas. Since, African Americans have contributed
significantly in all facets of the building of the state -- its infrastructure, its
image, its culture.
From Esteban to Beyonce, the Texas Black History Preservation Project is
charting every aspect of the black experience in Texas. This is the first
version of our evolution into an online encyclopedia for all things black
history in Texas. To start, we are presenting a special package, “Coming
to Texas, 1528-1836,” focusing on the origins and circumstances of how
blacks came to this part of the world.
Esteemed historian Maceo C. Dailey, of the University of Texas at El Paso,
formally introduces our project.
Chart our progress and watch us grow.
Texas Black History Preservation Project
Documenting the Complete African American Experience in Texas                                   www.tbhpp.org

"Know Your History,     
          Know Yourself"
"Coming to Texas, 1528-1836"

Approximately 54% of all enslaved Africans brought to the New World between 1519 and 1700 disembarked in Spanish America, and New
Spain (Mexico) received its share through the ports of Veracruz where Africans were first brought and taken for work in the country's gold and
silver mines, as servants, field workers and other labors. So numerous were Africans in New Spain that by 1570 the 20,569 Africans were three
times the Spanish population. The Africans spread out through New Spain, including heading north and across the Rio Grande inter-marrying
with indigenous people, running away from slavery (marronage) and starting their own communities. Some settled and became the first black
Texans.

This package examines:

  • The African Diaspora and Transatlantic slave trade
  • Afro-Mexicans, and the connections between African and Mexican
  • Notable black figures in the early days of Texas leading to the state's war to gain independence from Mexico.
1108 Lavaca St., No. 110-212
Austin, TX 78741            
Phone: 512-673-0565