In northeast Tennessee, southwest Virginia there were very few Negroes and
non-whites were referred to as "people of color", the most famous group
being also called the Melungeons whose origins are uncertain, but  they
never were enslaved, at least in recorded history. Many local myths and
legends about the Melungeons and especially their origin with various
researchers pointing to Turkey, Spain or Portugal and being remnants of the
Spanish explorations. They were darker skin people and they had specific
communities in the 1930s. Teachers alive today recite stories of teaching
Melungeon children.

----- Original Message -----
From: "J. Douglas Deal" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2002 4:49 PM
Subject: Re: "high crimes and misdemeanors"


> Just a caution about the parents of "mulattoes": they were the children
> of mulatto-mulatto and mulatto-black parents, as well as of white-black
> and white-mulatto parents. It is also quite likely that some fraction of
> the slaves arriving in Virginia from the Caribbean or Africa before 1808
> were light-skinned enough to be termed mulatto (simply because of the
> color variations on the African continent). Finally, there is the argument
> made by Ned Heite and others that the term "mulatto" was applied loosely
> in the 19th century to individuals and groups who were not African
> American but Native American.
>
> Doug Deal
> History/SUNY-Oswego
> [log in to unmask]
>
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