--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The biggest surprise for me, without a…" description: "\"The biggest surprise for me, without a doubt, was that the first black people who came to the United States weren't the 20 who arrived in Jamestown in ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ca/henry-louis-gates-2372_black_the-biggest-surprise-for-me-without-a-do_2854578.jpg" --- # The biggest surprise for me, without a doubt, was that the… ![“The biggest surprise for me, without a doubt, was that the first black people who came to the United States weren't the 20 who arrived in Jamestown in 1619. All of us had been taught that. Well, guess what? The first African came to Florida in 1513. And the huge shock is we know his name, Juan…” quote by Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ca/henry-louis-gates-2372_black_the-biggest-surprise-for-me-without-a-do_2854578.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ca/henry-louis-gates-2372_black_the-biggest-surprise-for-me-without-a-do_2854578.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ca/henry-louis-gates-2372_black_the-biggest-surprise-for-me-without-a-do_2854578.jpg) > “The biggest surprise for me, without a doubt, was that the first black people who came to the United States weren't the 20 who arrived in Jamestown in 1619. All of us had been taught that. Well, guess what? The first African came to Florida in 1513. And the huge shock is we know his name, Juan Garrido, and that he wasn't a slave. He was free! This brother was a conquistador who came with Ponce de Leon. He was looking for the Fountain of Youth just like the white people were.” [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The common narrative about African arrival in America is inaccurate; the first African in what is now the US arrived earlier and was free, challenging assumptions about slavery origins. **In simple terms:** Early African presence in US was earlier and included free individuals. Key Takeaway Recognize and teach nuanced history. Themes history identity colonialism race education Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type educational historical When to use this quote - school curricula - museum exhibits - public talks - media documentaries Key Concepts African diaspora colonial narratives free Africans Questions to Reflect On - How does this knowledge reshape our view of early American history? - What other overlooked figures might exist? A Different Perspective Complexity of early records may limit precise details. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Conquistador](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquistador/) [Conquistadors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquistadors/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Florida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/florida/) [Fountain of youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fountain-of-youth/) [Jamestown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jamestown/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shock/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [White people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-people/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [The biggest surprise for me, without a doubt, was that the first black people who came to the United States weren't the 20 who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/the-biggest-surprise-for-me-without-a-doubt-was-that-the-first-black/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I didn't have much, but I was always happy to share what I did have. 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Brooks > [“in a new world behave in a new way as a new man. unhorse the conquistador.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padgett-powell/in-a-new-world-behave-in-a-new-way-as-a-new-man-unhorse-the/) [Padgett Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padgett-powell/) > [“In 1519, Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, a Spanish conquistador searching for gold and silver, led an expedition from Cuba to the Yucatán…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-1519-hernan-cortes-de-monroy-y-pizarro-a-spanish-conquistador/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The "Garcilaso" mentioned by Markham is the chronicler Garcilaso Inca de la Vega, the son of a Spanish conquistador and an Inca princess, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-hancock/the-garcilaso-mentioned-by-markham-is-the-chronicler-garcilaso-inca/) [Graham Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-hancock/) > [“Valdivia's actions symbolize man's indefatigable thirst to take control of a place where he can exercise total authority. 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And here, most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/in-ethiopia-the-black-people-became-christians-1700-years-ago/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I don't think the riots derailed the civil rights movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-don-t-think-the-riots-derailed-the-civil-rights-movement/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Politicians will not put forth programs aimed at the problems of poor blacks while their turnout remains so low.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/politicians-will-not-put-forth-programs-aimed-at-the-problems-of-poor/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I'm a tech geek. 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I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-want-to-be-remembered-as-someone-who-tried-to-bring-the-story-of/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [In 1957, when I was in second grade, black children integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. We watched it on TV. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/in-1957-when-i-was-in-second-grade-black-children-integrated-central/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Since the day Martin Luther King was killed, the black middle classes have almost quadrupled, but the percentage of black children living on or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/since-the-day-martin-luther-king-was-killed-the-black-middle-classes/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Diversity doesn't mean black and white only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/diversity-doesn-t-mean-black-and-white-only/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Because Lincoln is so closely identified with what it is to be American, everyone wants to claim him, to rewrite his story to satisfy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/because-lincoln-is-so-closely-identified-with-what-it-is-to-be/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [My grandfather was coloured, my father was Negro, and I am Black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/my-grandfather-was-coloured-my-father-was-negro-and-i-am-black/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Wherever you go in the history of America, there have been Black people making contributions, but their contributions have been obscured, lost, buried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/wherever-you-go-in-the-history-of-america-there-have-been-black/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [The act of writing for the slave constituted the act of creating a public, historical self, not only the self of the individual author…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/the-act-of-writing-for-the-slave-constituted-the-act-of-creating-a/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [You can say I had a severe case of 'Roots' envy. 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