 |
| Source: http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/oditous3/Cabo%2520Verde/MulattoCVs.jpg |
As someone who does a lot of
southern research involving slave-owning families, I read with interest an
article by Brent Staples in the New York Times where he states ...
My paternal grandfather, Marshall Staples (1898-1969), was one of the millions
of black Southerners who moved north in the Great Migration. Those of us in the
family who were born Yankees in the years just after World War II were given an
earful about our place in 19th-century Virginia — and specifically about
Marshall’s white grandfather, a member of a slaveholding family who fathered at
least one child with my great-great-grandmother, Somerville Staples.
Stories like this are typical among African-Americans who have roots in
the slave-era South and who have always spoken candidly about themselves and
their relationships with slaveholding forebears.
Do
read the full article “When
Family Trees are Gnarled by Race”
where he talks about the realities of how such relationships often fragmented
families.
I
have researched families where the children of slave mothers and white
plantation owners fathers are documented and almost with pride, though far more
often, the “father” is not stated on the marriage or death record for that
child. At the time, every child was “fathered”
by somebody though many have remained anonymous. I have also researched situations where white
mothers bore mulatto children whose fathers were enslaved. Any permutation of “relations” you can think
of, often happened in the pre-Civil War south.
This
both complicates our research into such families and it’s important that we
recognize the conflicts of identity that occurred. Often, after the war, if a freed slave
(whether of African or Native American Ancestry) could pass for “white,” they
often did. And, that was not an option
for many of mixed ancestry. Imagine two
siblings – one who could pass for white and one had very dark skin – they probably
led very different lives once emancipated.
Have you discovered African-American
ancestry in your “on-the-surface” white ancestors? Or, in your traditionally considered
African-American family have you found proof of white ancestors? What has that meant to you? What does it appear to have meant for your
ancestors?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
copyright
© National Geneal ogical Society,
3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370. http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NGS
does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing
in this blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Republication
of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for
non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS .
Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article.
Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles
for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission
to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org.
All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the
copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Think
your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog
post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with
NGS posts or subscribe!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suggestions for topics for future UpFront
with NGS posts are always
welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com
