Melungeons: The Last Lost Tribe in AmericaMercer University Press, 2005 - 186 pages Most 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 republicto 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 discriminationsince Muslims, Jews, "Indians," and other "persons of color" were often disenfranchised and abusedthe 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 Yet, Hirschman, supported by DNA testing, genealogies, and a variety of historical documents, suggests that the Melungeons included such notable early Americans as Daniel Boone, John Sevier, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and Andrew Jackson.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. |
Autres éditions - Tout afficher
Expressions et termes fréquents
Abraham Alexander American Jewish Families ancestors ancestry Appalachian Quarterly arrived Baltimore Baptist Church Benjamin Berbers Brent Kennedy Captain Carico Carter Catholic Charleston Chase Christian colonists colony conversos Creek crypto-Jews Daniel Boone daughter David Davis early Elizabeth England English ethnic Florida Fort Blackmore France Freemasonry Freemasons geons George Hebrew Hebron Henry heritage History Holston River Iberian Indians Isaac Islamic Jacob James Jews and Moors John Hebron Johnson City Johnson City TN Jonesborough Joseph Judaism Kentucky killed Lewis Shepherd Lincoln Marranos married Mary Maryland Masonic Mediterranean Melun Melungeon Melungeon descent Melungeon families Michael migrated Moorish Mordecai mountains Muslims Negroes North Old Regular Baptist origin Overmountain Press Perry population Portuguese Primitive Baptist religious repr Richard Roanoke Island Robinson Samuel Santa Elena Sarah Savannah Scotch-Irish secret Sephardic Jews Sephardic/Moorish settlement settlers Skeen South Carolina southeastern Southwest Spain Spanish Inquisition surnames Templars Tennessee Thomas Virginia Walter Watauga William Wise County York