Melungeons: The Last Lost Tribe in AmericaMost of us probably think of America as being settled by British, Protestant colonists who fought the Indians, tamed the wilderness, and brought "democracy"-or at least a representative republic-to North America. To the contrary, Elizabeth Caldwell Hirschman's research indicates the earliest settlers were of Mediterranean extraction, and of a Jewish or Muslim religious persuasion. Sometimes called "Melungeons," these early settlers were among the earliest nonnative "Americans" to live in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. For fear of discrimination-since Muslims, Jews, "Indians," and other "persons of color" were often disenfranchised and abused-the Melungeons were reticent regarding their heritage. In fact, over time, many of the Melungeons themselves "forgot" where they came from. Hence, today, the Melungeons remain the "last lost tribe in America," even to themselves. Yet, Hirschman, supported by DNA testing, genealogies, and a variety of historical documents, suggests that the Melungeons included such notable early Americans as Daniel Boone, John Sevier, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and Andrew Jackson. Once lost, but now, forgotten no more. |
From inside the book
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... England , they ] took two Indians . . . Wan- chese and Manteo .... ( It is believed that two Englishmen were left with the Indians as hostages [ for the safe return of the two Indians ] . ) Manteo became a true friend of the English ...
... England ] . Finally Governor White consented to go . The war , and especially the threatened invasion [ against England ] by the great Spanish armada , further delayed matters . The invasion was imminent , and an embargo was laid on all ...
... England ; another postponed the return voyage " until a more convenient season , " but did not go back to Roanoke Island . Eventually all three ships left , and the Lost Colony , if it was still alive , was gone forever . 1 1 By ...
... England for one or more gen- 2Revised listing from Ball , The Melungeons , 10-12 . ( Ball adapted the list from Sams , The Conquest of Virginia . ) erations to escape religious upheavals at home , and then Melungeon Mythology 9.
... England from France during this time to escape death . 3 Fifteen years later , 1587 , Raleigh sponsored the colonization of Roanoke Island and named John White to govern it . White gathered together 115 men , women , and children ...
Contents
ix | |
DNA Disease and Demographics The Keys to the Mystery | 33 |
1492 A Most Propitious Year | 45 |
Rewriting the Past A New Origin Story | 55 |
Family Trees and Family Treks Migration Marriage and Naming Patterns among the Melungeons | 83 |
The TemplarFreemason Connection | 99 |