1655–1775: Enslaved Africans first arrived in the Middle Colonies during the period of Dutch control before 1667, primarily landing in what would become New …

1655–1775: Enslaved Africans first arrived in the Middle Colonies during the period of Dutch control before 1667, primarily landing in what would become New York. About 90 percent of the captives brought to this region arrived through either New York City or Perth Amboy, New Jersey, with the remainder disembarking in Philadelphia. Interestingly, 60 percent of these individuals were transported on vessels owned by New York merchants rather than the British merchants who dominated the trade elsewhere. Many traders utilized Perth Amboy as a landing site specifically to avoid the higher customs duties imposed in New York.