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 Yet, Hirschman, supported by DNA testing, genealogies, and a variety of historical documents, suggests that the Melungeons included such notable early Americans as Daniel Boone, John Sevier, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and Andrew Jackson.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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... [ North Carolina ] in 1854 [ sic ; that is , 1584 ] . Officers of this settlement included the following men : [ Master ] Philip Armadas Arthur Barlow John Wood James Brownwich Henry Greene Benjamin Wood Simon Ferdinando ( believed to ...
... north end of the island , where a man named Ralph Lane , from an earlier voyage , had built a fort and a number of houses . [ They found that ] the fort was razed , and the houses were in a dilapidated condition . Captain White and his ...
... north and rowed toward it ; as they neared the place , they sounded a trumpet , and afterward played many familiar English tunes , calling out in a friendly manner . There was no answer . At daybreak they again landed , went to the fire ...
... North Africa , France , and Italy , and thence to Holland or England , others into Moslem kingdoms of the Mediterranean . Still others , or possibly some of those mentioned above , a little later came to South and North America and ...
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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 |