I erred in an answer to a question as to the fraction of African blood necessary for a person to be declared a Negro in Virginia in the period 1840-1860.

I said that any person with a Black ancestor more recent than a great-great grandparent was so defined.  That was incorrect.  In fact, it was not until 1910 that the VA General Assembly redefined the word "Negro" as meaning any person having 1/16th or more of African lineage, i.e., if you had one great-grandparent with African blood, you were by law a Negro.  Further, it was not until 1930 when the legislature defined the term as being a person with "any" African ancestry.  Sorry for the error.  Paul 

For a discussion of the matter of definition, see W. L. Katz, Editor,  "The Negro in Virginia" (Arno Press & New York Times, NY, 1969) Chapter XXII, and pp 237 et seq., and for a detailed discussion of the whole problem, see that work generally.   

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