Melungeon Lumbee American Indians

Melungeon is a term applied to people of 'mixed race' in the southeastern regions of the US - from Texas across to Florida and up to Tennessee / Kentucky. "Indians" or "Blacks" wouldn't be called melungeon unless they intermarried. Any "dark people" that were not a single, set race would be lumped into this category. Melungeons were often Indian/black mixes but might also include Portuguese, Spanish, and other dark-skinned people.

The Spanish had many settlements along the Carolinas before the English took over, and they would marry in with the native Indians. They were slavers, so there were also blacks in the area. The result was a melting pot.

Other common names for the Melungeon were Black Irish, Black Dutch, and Black German. These were names the Melungeons would use about themselves when asked "what are you?" :) They were in essence saying that they were a blend of black and European stock.

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Cood Oxendine ~1750
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Wilson Oxendine ~1818
Elizabeth Oxendine ~1839

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