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 Yet, Hirschman, supported by DNA testing, genealogies, and a variety of historical documents, suggests that the Melungeons included such notable early Americans as Daniel Boone, John Sevier, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and Andrew Jackson.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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... Names such as Philip Armadas , Annanias Dare , Dyonis Harvie , Simon Ferdinando , John Chever , William Lucas , Thomas Topan , John Farre , and Ambrose Viccars suggest a French / Mediterranean origin ; and Richard and Henry Berrye carry ...
... name , Ganz was in all likelihood a Sephardic Jew . As we shall see before the end of this chapter , it was very likely a blend of Jewish , Muslim , and Huguenot religious castaways who became the Melungeons . This possibility , albeit ...
... names for themselves as civic leaders or in industry . But after the long arm of the Inquisition stretched out to include the New World , the majority of them slipped through churchly fingers to settle in Indian villages in remote parts ...
... name were in the family Bible . The record in the Bible carried to Illinois by " Aunt Betsy " verified the birth of the daughter and the date . As to the father's sanity , the judge ruled that marriage could not be questioned by anyone ...
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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 |