400 years ago, the first Africans arrived in Virginia. At the time, the survival of the colony was still in doubt and the "20 and odd" Africans were part of the early waves of migrants who ensured Virginia would grow and thrive. As some of the first Americans, they should be remembered and commemorated. I have synthesized recent research with some analysis of the statutory and case law to uncover more about the men and women who were forcibly transported to Virginia and how slavery developed in the US.