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09/11/2019

What is a Melungeon person?

What is a Melungeon person?

Melungeons (/məˈlʌndʒən/ mə-LUN-jən) is a term for numerous groups of people of the Southeastern United States who descend from European and Sub-Saharan African settlers. Tri-racial describes populations who claim to be of mixed European, African and Native American ancestry.

What is black Dutch race?

The most common designation of “Black Dutch” refers to Dutch immigrants to New York who had swarthier complexions than most other Dutch. The darker complexions were usually due to intermarriage or out of wedlock births with Spanish soldiers during the Spanish occupation of the Netherlands.

Who are the ancestors of the Dutch?

In the late 19th century, Dutch historians believed that the Franks, Frisians, and Saxons were the original ancestors of the Dutch people.

Where do Melungeon people come from?

Typically, the term Melungeon refers to people from eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, eastern Tennessee and southern West Virginia, according to the Melungeon Heritage Association (MHA), but “related mixed-ancestry populations also include the Carmel Indians of southern Ohio; the Brown People of Kentucky; the …

Where did the word Melungeon come from?

The traditional explanation for the word “Melungeon” is the French mélange, meaning “mixture.” Another proposed theory for the origin of “Melungeon” is the Afro-Portuguese term melungo, supposedly meaning “shipmate.” Yet another is the Greek termmelan, meaning “black.” Other researchers have speculated that “Melungeon” …

Who are the Melungeon people of colonial Virginia?

Over the generations, most individuals of the group called Melungeon were persons of mixed European and African descent, sometimes also with Native American ancestry, whose ancestors had been free in colonial Virginia.

What is the meaning of the term Melungeon?

The term “Melungeon” was traditionally considered an insult, reserved for Appalachian whites who were, by appearance or reputation, of mixed race ancestry.

What are the last names of the Melungeon family?

The surnames most associated with the Melungeons are the Irish name Collins, and the English name Gibson. Other researchers have added Powell, LeBon, Bowling, Bunch, Goins, Goodman, Heard, Minor and Mullins.

Where did the Melungeons live in the Appalachian Mountains?

Historically, the Melungeons were associated with settlements in the Cumberland Gap area of central Appalachia, which includes portions of East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and eastern Kentucky. Tri-racial describes populations who claim to be of mixed European, African and Native American ancestry.