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Through the path of his expeditions with Ponce De Leon, Garrido came to be the first African to enter what would become the United States.  He could be referred to as the first African American.

There are 16th century paintings depicting Juan Garrido, in which he was mistaken as a slave, like one in which he is holding a pike, standing next to a horse belonging to Hernan Cortes.

Juan Garrido explored a final expedition in 1533 with Cortes to Baja California before he passed away in 1536.

Little Known Black History Fact: Juan Garrido  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com

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