Opinions

Slavery in Florida Lost Black History

     The sad truth of the origin of slavery in the US dates back to 1539 in Florida. This was decades before the common denotation of 1619 as the beginning of slavery in the US colonies. In 1539, slavery arrived in present-day Florida when the slave trader, Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto, attempted to establish a permanent settlement here. His mission was to claim more territory for Spain. The African slaves were brought here as mining and agricultural laborers. […]