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Mathias De Sousa – First Portuguese in the US, First African American & Portuguese who voted and served on the General Assembly

The Portuguese American Journal recognize Mathias De Sousa as the first recorded Portuguese in the US who “set foot on American soil.” The article also states, “He is on record as having been the first African American to cast a vote in colonial Maryland and in the land which would become the United States. He remains the first known African American and the first person of Portuguese ancestry to have voted in America.” He was also part to the lawmaking body as being part of Maryland’s General Assembly. Why isn’t he talked about in American schools? Where did he come from in Portugal?…Azroes?!? What is so special about that place in Portugal? If you know about Black Portuguese aka Jews who were expelled from Portugal to Sao Tome (or St Thomas) in Africa... Alot!!!
| Mathias de Sousa: First Portuguese American on record?Portuguese American Journal (portuguese-american-journal.com)

From: National Center for Biotechnology Information
“The Azores is a Portuguese archipelago composed of nine islands distributed by three geographical groups: the Eastern (São Miguel and Santa Maria), the Central (Terceira, Pico, Faial, São Jorge and Graciosa) and the Western (Flores and Corvo). The Portuguese explorers, who discovered the archipelago in 1427, only started the settlement in 1439 through a long and difficult process. Historical data report a contribution from people with genetic backgrounds other than Portuguese, including Flemish, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Scottish, Jewish, and also from Moorish prisoners and black slaves from Guinea, Cape Verde and São Tomé.
HLA Class I and II profiles in São Miguel Island (Azores): genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium – PMC (nih.gov) 

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