Race is a social construct. There’s no better way to understand what that really means than to look at history. “So get this. Some of the eighteenth century founding fathers only thought English and Danish people were white. Even Swedes and Germans were “swarthy.” French certainly were. So Franklin would not have considered me white,…
Category: Ethnicity
“The Likelihood of having an Ancestor with an Identity Different than One’s Own Increases (Nearly)…
“The Likelihood of having an Ancestor with an Identity Different than One’s Own Increases (Nearly)…
Melungeons
The Melungeons are a tri-racial group, descended from Europeans, Africans, and Indians. Although the term Melungeon refers to a specific group, it has become a generic label for many similar groups: the Carmel Indians of southern Ohio, the Brown People of Kentucky, the Guineas of West Virginia, the We-Sorts of Maryland, the Nanticoke-Moors of Delaware,…
This should be required reading for every genealogist.
This should be required reading for every genealogist.
Calculating Ethnicity
Most Americans I know divide their ethnic origins into fractions. Someone might say, for example, that they are 1/2 English, 1/4 Scottish, and 1/4 German. The Europeans I’ve talked to think this is a very odd idea, because the person is simply American. I’m always intrigued by these ethnic percentages. Americans are so mixed that…