the first africans came to the new world with christopher columbus in 1492. an african crew member named juan las canaries was on columbus's ship. shortly after, the first enslavement happened in what would later be the united states. in 1508, ponce de leon created the first settlement near present-day san juan. he started enslaving the indigenous tainos. in 1513, to supplement the decreasing number of tainos people, the first african slaves were imported to puerto rico.