The definition of mulatto
in the American South, was applied also to persons with an admixture
of Native American and African Americans, not just mixed with white
in general. I have to correct you the Moors were also black Africans.
Spain was occupied by the Moors around 711 AD, when the African Army
crossed the Strait of Gibraltar. Under the US Census any individuals
with ancestry from North Africa, or the Middle East is considered
white, just saying.
Indians Turned into
Negros and Mulattos
"Legal definitions of
Indian abound; according to a 1978 congressional survey, there were
upwards of 33 separate definitions of "Indian" used in
federal legislation. The number of definitions increased when tribal
enrollment statutes were included."
Brownell (2001) p278,
Garroutte 2003, 16
The following by Steven
Pony Hill in his work "Patriot Chiefs and Loyal Braves"
http://sciway3.net/clark/freemoors/CHAPTER1colonial.htm
"Arguably the most
influential event to occur in the 1600's happened in 1660 when
Virginia determined that "…an Indian sold by another Indian or
an Indian who speaks English and who desires baptism will now receive
his or her freedom." This allowed many Algonquin and Siouan war
captives held in slavery in the colonies to regain their freedom, but
it also provided incentive for their masters to downplay the Indian
ancestry of those in servitude in order to retain them. These former
slaves quickly rejoined their tribesmen bringing with them their
acquired skills as carpenters, wheelwrights, and ferry operators.
Most importantly, these newly freed Indians brought with them their
new English names and Christian religion. Unfortunately they also
retained the stigma of being former slaves, a condition which would
cause their white neighbors to eye them with suspicion for
generations."
As pointed out by Joanne
Pezzullo:
Relabeling Indians into
Mulattos in Virginia
Virginia
October 1705-CHAP. IV. An
act declaring who shall not bear office in this country.
[The text of this act
suggests that a free man of color did hold an office sometime before
October of 1705. The statute contains the first definition of a
mulatto in Virginia's laws.]
''Be it enacted and
declared, and it is hereby enacted and declared, That the child of an
Indian and the child, grandchild, or great grandchild, of a negro
shall be deemed, accounted, held and taken to be a mulatto.''
Source: Hening, ed., The
Statutes at Large, vol. 3, pp. 250-251, 252.
I think that *Henings
Statutes at Large* predates Wikipedia. Note the Virtual Jamestown
site says this 1705 law was the FIRST DEFINITION OF A MULATTO IN
VIRGINIA LAWS and it states THE CHILD OF AN INDIAN shall be deemed,
accounted, held and taken to be a MULATTO.
http://www.virtualjamestown.org/laws1.html
South Carolina
Mulatto and Free Person Of
Color Not Negro
Wicazo SA Review
The Red Pencil Review
Fall 1995 Vol. XI No. 2
"The Use of Racial
and Ethnic Terms in America: Management by Manipulation" by Jack
D. Forbes
Pages 58 and 59
"In 1857, a William
Chavers was charged "as a free person of color" with
carrying a shotgun. Chavers was able to win his case
eventually...because he is charged as "a free person of color"
whereas...the act...makes it penal for any "free negro" to
carry arms...Free persons of color maybe...persons colored by Indian
blood. The indictment cannot be sustained."
Page 55
"In 1719, South
Carolina decided who should be an "Indian" for tax purposes
since American slaves were taxed at a lesser rate than African
slaves. The act stated:
And for preventing all
doubts and scruples that may arise what ought to be rated on mustees,
mulattoes, etc. all such slaves as are not entirely Indian shall be
accounted as negro.
This is an extremely
significant passage because it clearly asserts that "mustees"
and "mulattoes" were persons of part American ancestry. My
judgment (to be discussed later) is that a mustee was primarily
part-African and American and that a mulatto was usually
part-European and American. The act is also significant because it
asserts that part-Americans with or without African ancestry could be
counted as Negroes, thus having an implication for all later slave
census."
http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/lunenburg.htm
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/lunenburg/census/sun001.txt
In the 22nd year of George
II, October, 1748,[66] an act was passed
covering the subject of
tithables, and repealing the above noticed act of
4th Queen Anne, and 12th
George II, to be in force "from and immediately
after the tenth day of
June, which shall be in the year of our Lord, one
thousand seven hundred and
fifty-one."
This law defined tithables
as "all male persons of the age of sixteen
years and upwards, and all
negroe, mulatto, and Indian women of the same
age, except Indians
tributary to this government and all wives of free
negroes, mulattoes, and
Indians, except as before excepted," and "excepting
such only as the county
court, for charitable reasons appearing to them,
shall think fit to
excuse."
How Native Americans
Became "W, C, B, M or FPC"
NATIVE INTELLIGENCE, a
column by Jack D. Forbes, Native American Studies, University of
California, Davis
"The Federal
government began to use "degree of blood" in the latter
part of the nineteenth-century, especially in relation to the
enrollment of persons before the Dawes allotment commission. The use
of "full," "one-half" etc. at that time was both
an extension of the previous racist system and also a step in
terminating Native Americans. Persons with greater amounts of white
ancestry were assumed to be more competent than persons with lesser
amounts. In other words, the degree of white blood was much more
important than the degree of American ancestry. The white blood
entitled an Indian citizen to greater privileges, including being
able to have "wardship" restrictions removed, being able to
sell property, acquire the right to vote in state and federal
elections, and so on.
"Thus it may be that
many persons chose to exaggerate their amount of white ancestry when
enrolling. Persons without white ancestry were restricted persons,
with the Bureau controlling their financial lives. It was also
expected that when a person became "competent" (white
enough) he would no longer be an Indian and that process would
eventually terminate a tribe's existence.
"Thus the recording
of blood quantum is both a product of white racism and of white
social science theories of a racist nature, and also a product of a
plan wherein Native nations are expected to vanish when the white
blood quantum reaches a certain level (above three-fourths, for
example). For this latter reason alone, the use of blood quantum is
exceedingly dangerous for Native Nations today, although the Bureau
and some eastern Oklahoma Indians don't seem to care about this
danger."
From War to
Self-Determination
A history of the Bureau of
Indian Affairs
http://www.americansc.org.uk/Online/indians.htm
http://www.thefiatlux.com/.../experts-agree-bureau-indian...
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/opinion/30272599.html
From Joanne Pezzullo's
site and the excerpt from Steven Pony Hill...
"1741-1745…..Robin
a Negro Man now in possession of Thomas Cocke, Gent., petitioning for
leave to sue for his freedom.
- Robin, an Indian Plt.
Against Thomas Cocke Genbt. Deft. In Trespass Assault and false
imprisonment…We find that James Jones late of Prince George County
in the year of our Lord 1693 was in the possession of an Indian girl
named Sarah as a slave and that we did find the said girl in the year
aforesaid was 4 years old. We find that the parents and Native
Country of the sd. girl were Heathens and Idolators. We find that the
aforesaid girl did live and die in the service of the aforesaid James
Jones as a slave. We find that the Plt. Robin is the issue of the
aforesaid Indian Sarah.
(Robin is described as a
Negro until he proves his Indian descent, then he is described as
Indian…use of the term is influenced by his servitude)"
This excerpt is one of
many that can be found at...
http://www.historical-melungeons.com/mixed_bloods.html
...this proving that
Negro, Mulatto and Mustee were dependent upon the status of servitude
and not ethnicity. Indians and Indian mixed bloods could thus be
labeled as Africans without proven merit. On the contrary the person
or persons labeled as Negro, Mulatto and Mustee had to prove their
ancestry even way back then. Our Native American Indian ancestory has
been challenged for hundreds of years.
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