Bermudians who travel to Virginia can now learn more about the first Africans in the United States, thanks to a new exhibit at the Jamestown Settlement Museum.

The exhibit which is designed to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown's founding, is based on exciting new historical research. Historians can finally put a face on the first African slaves taken to the Americas.

For the last four centuries historians were unclear about the origins of the first Africans taken as slaves and brought to the United States.

Experts thought the first slaves were multi-ethnic and brought to the United States on a Dutch warship. Now it is known that the first Africans in American were from probably of one ethnicity, from Angola.

They were first brought over on a Portuguese slave ship, the , in 1617 ? eight years after the wreck of the on Bermuda's shores.

Halfway across the ocean, on its way to what is now Veracruz, Mexico the ship was seized by British pirates.

"This is a story that is increasingly well known," said Bermudian Clarence Maxwell. Dr. Maxwell was formerly a historian at the Bermuda Maritime Museum, but now teaches Latin American and Atlantic World History at Millersville University in Pennsylvania.

"I think there was some uncertainty about where they originated from," said Mr. Maxwell. "They didn't have a ship name or an origin for the slaves in question. Basically, this research starts to put a face on the original slaves. I definitely think this should be of interest to Bermudians."

Mr. Maxwell said it was possible that some Bermudians could be descended from the original Angolans.

The discovery of this information was made almost accidentally by a retired California historian, Engel Sluiter. Ten years ago, Mr. Sluiter was researching in Spain when he found documents relating to the .

His research was published in William and Mary Quarterly. William & Mary University students have helped on numerous archaeological digs in Bermuda.

Mr. Sluiter died in 2001, but the research was picked up by another historian John Thornton, a professor at Boston University, in Massachusetts.

Mr. Thornton also published an article in the quarterly. Mr. Thornton's research found that the Angolans were captured during a Portuguese military campaign in Angola.

He also found that they had been trading and dealing with Europeans for years and probably were Christians.

People can now learn more about the early slaves at the Jamestown Settlement Museum on Jamestown Island in Virginia. Next month they are putting on a special display in honour of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown's founding.

In 1609 the Sea Venture was on the way to Jamestown with desperately needed supplies when it was shipwrecked.

"I haven't gotten down there to the museum yet, but I definitely mean to," said Mr. Maxwell. "It is definitely something that Bermudians should try to see."