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 Yet, Hirschman, supported by DNA testing, genealogies, and a variety of historical documents, suggests that the Melungeons included such notable early Americans as Daniel Boone, John Sevier, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and Andrew Jackson.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. |
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... .: alk . paper ) 1. Melungeons -- History . 2. Melungeons — Genealogy . I. Title . E184.M44H57 2004 975.0040509 dc22 2004014593 Contents Foreword by N. Brent Kennedy vii Preface and Acknowledgments ISBN 0-86554-920-6 MUP / H645.
... history . Indeed Brent and I turned out to be third cousins . ( Cousinage , I came to learn , was very intense among the Melungeons who only married their own kind . ) It is difficult to verbalize how stunning a revelation this was to ...
... history . These following five photographs show the diversity of Melungeon appearances in the present day . Donald Panther - Yates Emma Wampler Kennedy Shannon and Annie Hirschman Virginia Carter Wayne Winkler WETS - FM Public Radio 39 ...
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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 |