MELUNGEON

Some oppressed groups fought with guns, some fought in court, some exercised civil disobedience; the Melungeons, however, fought by telling folktales. Whites and blacks gave the name "children of perdition" to mixed Americans during the 300 years that marriage between whites and nonwhites was outlawed. Mixed communities ranked socially below communities of freed slaves although they had lighter skin. To escape persecution caused by the stigma of having African blood, these groups invented fantastic stories of their origins, known generally as "lost colony" legends. The author documents the histories of several related mixed communities that began in Virginia in 1619 and still exist today, and shows how they responded to racism over four centuries. Finally, Children of Perdition explains why many Americans view mixing as unnatural and shows how mixed people continue to confront the Jim Crow "one drop" standard today.

Vande Brake surveys Appalachian fiction and finds a surprising number of Melungeon characters lurking in the pages of many Southern writers. The author argues that fiction writers choose to create Melungeon characters, incorporate Melungeon lore, and replicate the Melungeon experience because Melungeon is such a powerful metaphor.

Who are the Melungeons? Where did they come from? How did they get here? Why did they colonize Newman’s Ridge? What mixture of races are they? Are they still around? These are but a few of the questions those of us of Melungeon descent are asked.” As stated in the Preface this author has “not set out to solve the mysteries that surround this people.” She does list some reference books for those who are interested and makes limited comment about some theories. “Much has been written about the possibility that the earlier Melungeons descended from the Lost Colony of Roanoke or came to America with Desoto, Pardo, the Vikings, and others. To further put one’s mind to work is to realize that there were people already living on the North American continent before it was colonized. There are, in short legends, legends, and more legends about the mysterious Melungeons; and the more people work on their heritage, the greater the interest becomes. As new findings come to light, public fascination with their people grows.” Born and raised in Hancock County, Sneedville, Tennessee, Mattie Ruth Johnson lived on Newman’s Ridge in an area called Prospect Ridge. In My Melungeon Heritage she tells what it was like to grow up and live in a place and time when life was much different than it is now at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

The latest in a series that is the first substantive study of the Carmel Melungeon settlement since 1950. Tracing the Carmel Melungeon's history from about 1700, Ball and Kessler offer extensive firsthand information about the settlement and relate the Carmel population to the Melungeon and similar mixed-blood populations of the Mid-Atlantic Coastal region.

This thorough ethnological study is both scholarly and highly readable. In it the author objectively traces the roots of one of America’s more obscure peoples, the Melungeons. Numerous theories exist for the origin of these people, who were not black nor white nor Indian. In the work, Ball discusses the various theories, their strengths and weaknesses, and the plausibilities of each. These theories include the roles in the Melungeon ancestry of Sir Walter Raleigh’s “Lost Colony,” shipwrecked Portugese sailors, followers of Spain’s Fernando de Soto who were left behind in America, various Native American tribes, and black slaves. The author has included a comprehensive list (eight pages) of “Some Suggested Reading” to provide the broadest possible range of information. This work is a must-have for anyone interested in early Appalachian history and ethnic development in America.

Windows on the Past: The Cultural History of Vardy features oral histories and images of Melungeon daily life such as church gatherings and family activities by focusing on the Vardy Community School, a Presbyterian mission school, and the Vardy Community Church. A vivid description of the community and its historical buildings is included as the interviewees discuss the classroom environment and teaching activities within the school. The impact of the school's staff and the spiritual and community leaders is also emphasized. Relative to these stories is the Vardy Community Historical Society, Inc., a group formed to restore Vardy landmarks and preserve the community pride. Windows on the Past allows its readers the opportunity to experience Melungeon culture and the community through the voices of oral histories. Their respective viewpoints help us understand this distinctive Appalachian community located on Blackwater Creek, Newman's Ridge, and Powell Mountain in Hancock County, Tennessee, and Lee County, Virginia.