America's Darkest DNA Secret | The Melungeons of Appalachia

Discover the fascinating DNA origins of the Melungeons of Appalachia.
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#melungeons #dna #secret

[@powellmountainmike8853]

My little farm is on the south side of Powell Mountain, overlooking the Blackwater Creek Valley, about 4 miles north of Sneedville, the county seat of Hancock County, TN. This is the heart of Melungeon territory. Most all my friends are Melungeon to one extent or another. I love to hear their stories about old time life here in the mountains.

[@evoinception]

wonderful place and wonderful people to be friends with...welcome ...

[@natscat4752]

Fascinating area and people by the sounds of it

[@TEBA-b4n]

Theses are my peoples. I’m a Goins

[@TEBA-b4n]

That’s my great uncle and his family on the cover

[@MelissaWilson-n1d]

I am a Gibson from SW Louisiana which includes a large population of Melungeon (Redbone) families. Redbone is a term in this area for Melungeon.

[@evoinception]

thanks for providing this info and welcome ...

[@kdugg]

I’m from wv. I’m cousin to the gibsons. Allot of them here. We are all melungeon in this area of my state.

[@PrettyGoodLookin]

Melungeons are a particular group from Hancock County ,TN and Lee County, VA.

[@SigMaQuint]

I only know of Gibson guitars. Are they in some way stemming from melungeon culture!

[@kdugg]

@ there is multiple groups who are similar. My grandpa was from the WV Guineas

[@snakey319]

Portuguese DNA has N African and Middle Easter markers since Iberia was part of their empire. so that is where they get it. We all mixed up.

[@MrGibsontoldnolies]

Not true.

[@RianHagebeuk]

ty. kept saying Caliphate to the video.

[@Bleilock1]

​@@MrGibsontoldnoliesbro portugese are half arabs themselves

[@maryjohammons8905]

@@RianHagebeuk🤗

[@RianHagebeuk]

​@@MrGibsontoldnolies it absolutely is true. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_Caliphate

[@DonnaReis-s4n]

The mixture of these people are extremely handsome men and beautiful women,May Almighty Merciful God continue to bless them and keep them safe

[@evoinception]

yes, they are indeed very beautiful people, thanks for your kind words ...

[@kdugg]

Thankyou! Haha

[@berberboy4790]

They look Turkish. Turks are very mixed group with both European , mediterranean and asian DNA. In the Ottoman time were many North African sailors. This people intermingled with the Indian people of the region Melungeon is a misspellingen of the word Melun Can. Melun means lost in Turkish and Can is Soul. They called themselves Lost Souls

[@dianemartinis2801]

I love listening to your voice talking about history.

[@annepoitrineau5650]

Thank you, great video. So...Melungeons are Americans who did not give a hoot about race, but were discriminated because of this.

[@Xingqiwu387]

If you think early settlers and the native American tribes did not give a hoot about race, think again. Many did not even want to see their relatives intermixing with other, similar tribes.

[@aaraonsy5949]

They discriminated against the genocidal albino hybrid which is what you find hard to say!

[@eliwahuhi]

Your accent is delightful. I proudly descend from this group. I’m of African, European, and American Indian descent.

[@maryjohammons8905]

The beauty of being AMERICAN!

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

Simcha's Sessions had a great episode explaining aspects of American heritage that tie in to hidden pasts similarly. Sephardic and or hidden Jews coming from Spain and Portugal hold a greater role than has been explored.

[@Xingqiwu387]

Absolutely correct. But many of these authors who write and talk about Melungeons want to view and portray them as the offspring of early woke, non-racist groups of people who all lovingly intermixed and intermingled ad libitum. This was not the case. And they all simply ignore then substantial population of Sephardic Jews, many who had escaped the forced conversions in the Iberian Peninsula and had fled to various parts of Europe and the Caribbean. Sephardic Jews would NEVER intermix with people of other races - think of the film about the Ashkenazi influx into the New York region and the film "Hester Street".

[@OkieJammer2736]

WOW. Excellent presentation. Your research, editing and narration are top-notch. Very professional and interesting.

[@evoinception]

your kind words means a lot ...

[@kdugg]

I am Melungeon with high amounts of Middle East and Mediterranean dna.

[@evoinception]

Wonderful heritage you have, welcome...

[@futureshocked]

I'm weird because I'm kind of a quasi-Melungeon but located in the midwest and not appalachia. But I am actually black and scots-irish and my scots-irish part was from the Carolinas. There's a lot of people like this where I'm at it's just kind of 'buried'.

[@evoinception]

thanks for sharing, more awareness and research about the unique nature of such people is needed ...

[@margaretwilliams7155]

If that's the case most African Americans are melungeon. I'm Congolese and Scottish. I disagree that these two make you melungeon.

[@jasperlawrence5361]

this American history has all of America's story in it. mixing, racism, the whole thing.

[@NoahBodze-pm9ok]

What could be more boring that your ahistoric and phony moral indignation?

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

🚫🤡

[@bhami]

The Melungeons are highly reminiscent of the Jackson Whites in Rockland and Orange Counties, New York. It would probably be worth doing a video on them, unless you think other KZbinrs have sufficiently covered them.

[@evoinception]

well they do share some traits indeed, i have noted your suggestion ...

[@paulbennett772]

Nowhere is this excellent presentation, or in the comments so far, has the word Melungeon been mentioned. I believe it derives from the French "mélange" which means "mixture".

[@roscoeshepard]

I have been studying these people since the 1980s my ancestors have the same surnames mentioned . They were from western VA and NC. 80% of all the people that came here in the USA, were indentured servants. These servants worked with and beside the black slaves. It was against the law for blacks and Caucasians to marry. After the 7 years of servitude the masters that paid their passage from western Europe. The master had ti pay them 50 acres. The servant when husband time was up would sale the land back to him, these women would fall in love with a slave. A women didn't survive by herself .she would take the money front thesale of land.and buy their freedom. They moved to the wilderness, their was no law in the backcountry. After a couple generations the peoples offspring were a little darker and hair straight er. Very few of those people had indian dna it was Sub-Saharan and western Europe. The surnames in my family were Scott,Collins. Its pretty much the same for Lumbee Indians. DNA doesn't lie.they use the same surnames as the Melungeones. Back then in the 16-1700s ,nobody wanted to be black cause they were looked down on. Them and the Irish were treated awful. A lot of southerners have 2% to 10 % Sub-Saharan DNA. !

[@aegisltd2018]

​@@roscoeshepardthanks for the explanation.

[@KatJ3st]

That's enlightening

[@Xingqiwu387]

Not all those who have been classified as "Melungeon" were actually of mixed race. Too many scholars have forgotten that the same region of Appalachia was home to one of the largest settlements of Sephardic Jews, with the area around Trosper, Tennessee boasting a relatively high populatoin of Sephardim.

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

Is there a video or article that discusses their history and settlement there? I'd only heard of the Southwest having many forced converts probably dating centuries earlier but maybe not, thanks

[@Dontbeafelon]

Would some migrate to Missouri?

[@Xingqiwu387]

@@Dontbeafelon Not only would but did.

[@cernunnos_lives]

This is the first time I've ever heard about this. Thanks for your hard work.

[@evoinception]

thanks for your support and kind words, means a lot ...

[@tdn4773]

Many of the early European settlers intermarried with Native Americans. The concept of race as you describe it is a 19th century invention.

[@lulublasz]

The european of XVI and XVII century where more open minded that the european of XIX century.

[@lesguil4023]

That's true for Spain with their savage "conquistadores" not for the civilized racist deceiving genocidal english "settlers".

[@emilybarclay8831]

@@lulublaszdid you just suggest that 16th century Europe was more open minded about race?

[@Addictedtoyoutube9]

​@emilybarclay8831 yes it's kind of true it was before the great colonisation of the world

[@lulublasz]

@@emilybarclay8831 More open minded that in XIX century

[@sksk-bd7yv]

Interesting an well presented. You got a new sub.

[@evoinception]

thanks, this means a lot ...

[@melissapinol7279]

I read an article a long time ago about the Melungeons that said the early Melungloen men dressed like "Levantine sailors" including a kind of turban. They certainly look middle eastern to me. I wonder if there are any existing early drawings or photographs?

[@evoinception]

thanks for your interest in topic ...

[@Truthtime3359]

We have a group here in northern NJ called the “Jackson Whites”-they are a mix of Native American, African and European bloodlines representing a mix of the local Indian populations, Hessian soldiers and freed African slaves.

[@evoinception]

yes, some one else also mentioned it in the comment, i will cover. them in future episodes, stay tuned ...

[@JedTaub]

There is another "mystery" population in Delaware called the Moors. They have kinky dark brown hair. squat-to-lanky physiques, medium brown skin, although highly variable, slightly wide noses---and light blue eyes. They are often thought to be slave descendants but socially keep almost exclusively to themselves.

[@awf6554]

How many people formed the founding population? Were they a grouping of peoples finding refuge together, or descendents of only one or 2 people?

[@scrimshank1]

A group of people who would cover much of their DNA spectrum would be British and Irish Travellers or Gypsies who may have found it much easier to merge with the native or black population.

[@seancrockett896]

I have looked up sports players with these last names and virtually all of them are in and around the Appalachia region! Yes, I know i have no life lol

[@evoinception]

that is a very interesting point, thanks for your interest in topic ...

[@natscat4752]

Love a good bit of research!

[@evoinception]

@natscat4752 yes wonderful people and more research will bring out even more detailed genetic data for. these people, thanks for your interest in topic ..

[@Ths1760]

I believe there were Portuguese living in the Southeast before Columbus. Small groups but they were here before the Spanish. Also, Phoenicians came to the New World when they defeated by the Romans and Carthage destroyed in 146 BCE. Some believe the gruesome aspects of the Aztecs religion came from these Phoenicians. Since they were vastly outnumbered their race blended into the native peoples and disappeared. The ancient Phoenicians were the masters sea travel much more so than the Greeks or Romans. Romans however did discover the Phoenician sea routes and traded with the ancient Mexicans. Gold for bricks used to build structures in Central America. These bricks have identical markings as the bricks on Hardrian’s Wall separating the Pics and Romans/Celts in Britain. Source: America BC by Barry Fell

[@evoinception]

you make some very interesting points, more research is needed on Melungeons for a clearer picture ...

[@WolfRoss]

There is a portion of this group of people that shows Mediterranean DNA. I am wondering with the discovery of the 11,000 year old Wendover Bog burials if these people also contributed to the Melungeon gene pool.

[@charlesstuart7290]

The actress Ava Gardner suspected that she had some Melungeon background. There were figures like the Italo-American Louis Prima who was so dark that he needed some proof that he wasn't Black before he could appear in some Southern entertainment venues.

[@LTPottenger]

First explorer was only in the area in early 1700s. Found them there already and living in european style houses. Not what anyone thinks.

[@evoinception]

interesting point you make ...

[@Josephmalenab]

This is a full facts can you do a video about lumbee

[@Josephmalenab]

Thanks for the video these people are good people also thanks for the DNA

[@evoinception]

yes, wonderful people indeed ...

[@jintiya]

The moors in Al Andalus (Spain) were mainly Muslim Spaniards, Amazigh (Berbers), and a few Arabs. Not Subsaharan populations. Please stop spreading that nonsense.

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

You should post your articles proving that

[@Ezullof]

​@@GreenCanvasInteriorscape maybe post yours proving that moors were subsaharan?

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

@@Ezullof I admit my mistake Didn't hear that idea being presented I took your reply out of context and agree that they are from there what context did he say that they weren't?

[@Toomanyappz]

You mean Moops?

[@karacaddy]

The Ottomans were an empire, an age where races did not matter. Their origins may be captive Ottomans; Ottoman soldiers consisted of many nationalities. The sultans used to say that they were the sultans of 72.5 nations (with the word half here they mean gypsies). Therefore, it was not only the state of the Turks, every nation spoke its own language.

[@MichaTheLight]

The original Queens/Kings of hearts and Queens/Kings of Spades

[@ruraledition]

Elvis Presley looks like a Melungeon. Resourceful people.

[@cholaghbutcher1]

i was always told they originated from irish scottish welsh French Romani Spanish Portuguese Arabs greeks italian and Turks mixed with various native Indian tribes. however i have never heard them with black/African Americans

[@rogergriffin9893]

There were revolts in Virginia and the Carolinas of indentured servants and slaves, of both European and African origin in the early 1700s. They banded together and fought until defeated. Some of the survivors escaped westward into the Appalachian. The Portuguese fished off the Grand Banks even before Columbus. Some of them are known to have landed along the American coast and traded with native populations. Undoubtedly some of them were shipwrecked.

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

There's ancient Portuguese maps that are still more accurate than can be explained if I recall, I read 1421 years ago which has been lamented and supposedly debunked but the premises within that book seem more plausible than modern explanations. The Portuguese get left behind in the exploratory game somewhat from a modern perspective

[@SDbogle]

Melungeons, are a mixture of Sephardic Jews, Muslim Moors, Scottish and Native Americans..

[@Xingqiwu387]

I believe you're correct on the first three groups you mentioned, but the mixing with Native Americans has been doubted and constituted likely only a very small minority.

[@SDbogle]

@@Xingqiwu387 As early as the 1500s they went to the Appalachian Mountains and were welcomed by the natives chief, and have married into the population since, them along with Moors from Spain. The Sephardic Jews, who went there were from Portugal, because they were being persecuted by The Roman Catholic Church after being expelled from Spain in 1492. Columbus was one of these Sephardic Jews. His ship’s crew were Muslim Moors and Sephardic Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism after the war.

[@SDbogle]

@@Xingqiwu387 In December 1943, Dr. Walter Ashby Plecker of Virginia sent county officials a letter warning against "colored" families trying to pass as "white" or "Indian" in violation of the Racial Integrity Act of 1924. He identified these as being "chiefly Tennessee Melungeons".[50] He directed the offices to reclassify members of certain families as black, causing the loss for numerous families of documentation in records that showed their continued self-identification as being of Native American descent on official forms.

[@SDbogle]

a bit of available histoyr.. and I have a lot more.. but this is from google. Its just to show you the surnames of the people and whats said of the in recent history. "Definitions of who is Melungeon differ. Historians and genealogists have tried to identify surnames of different Melungeon families.[50][60] In 1943, Virginia State Registrar of Vital Statistics, Walter Ashby Plecker, identified surnames by county: "Lee, Smyth and Wise: Collins, Gibson, (Gipson), Moore, Goins, Ramsey, Delph, Bunch, Freeman, Mise, Barlow, Bolden (Bolin), Mullins, Hawkins (chiefly Tennessee Melungeons)

[@SDbogle]

@@Xingqiwu387 A great book to read Melungeons : The Last Lost Tribe In America By author: Elizabeth C. Hirschman "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 republic-to 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 discrimination-since Muslims, Jews, “Indians,” and other “persons of color” were often disenfranchised and abused-the 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.

[@garyyakamoto2648]

You got to go a bit more deeper when you talk about haplogroups and ethnicity, e.g. I-haplogroup could be Scandinavian (I), Germanic (I2b), Balkans (I2a) or far east Russia (I2a). As well E1b1 is over 50'000 years old, so it means shit. It could E1b1 from Africa or E1b1-Ev13 Greek/Bulgarians/Albanians or even southern austrian/germans.

[@wolfganggugelweith8760]

What’s about Sasquatch there?

[@Giuseppe_1994]

Sicily was under Fatimid Caliphate for hundreds of years. Italian Americans majority comes from the south, Sicily and Calabria.

I'm 100% Black in America and looks like if anyone adds Sub-Saharan to this topic I've just discovered , a lot of'yall get triggered and dance around the topic adding various other ethnic admixtures !. So I say go for it since I never heard of 'Melungeons" before ! , nothing gained and nothing lost !!!!!!!.

[@Soundofwindonsand]

Ever heard the name Muglajin?

[@jakesarms8996]

Nice looking people .

[@evoinception]

yes, wonderful people indeed ...

[@Josephmalenab]

Beautiful people but how about genetics my mom could be part of this beautiful people i love the video thanks

[@evoinception]

thanks for your kind words ...

[@angelmoreno6577]

Why America need a racial classification?

[@Addictedtoyoutube9]

it was required as some pre colonisation period as native red indians were given territory on reservations

[@EdenSophia118]

They used Racial classifications in order to practice Racism.

[@LeylaBelgium]

Melungeons are a mix of Native Americans and Ottoman Turkish people!

[@Ramon51650]

One glaring thing is yet again missing, and that is a deep, not cursory knowledge of how the Spanish explored their empire, not knowing the first European laws of said empire and even the rules of the composition of the explorers. You are trying to build a mystery story without first laying the historical groundwork. For example, by treaty the Portuguese could not set foot in thee area you describe, but an historian can tell you that migration lines in Iberia have been blurred for centuries in such areas as Extremadura and Galicia. If the so-called presenters had delved into the era of viceroyalties, they would have been able to properly flesh out this account. You're tossing pasta at the wall to see if it'll stick.

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

You should post a link to your video or papers that describe what you've talked about to disprove him fully since you've thought about it a lot there must be evidence to support your ideas

[@MelonieJW]

This was a collecting pot of thise who didnt fit in or didnt want to fit in. And one admixture doesnt rule out another nor does it mean everyone there shared it.

[@AgnèsLeMétayer]

Récit intéressant mais trop de répétitions...

[@christopherdean9867]

I though everyone in the USA was Cherokee .?😂😂😂😂

[@PrettyGoodLookin]

Most of theses picrues ( if not all ) are Not the actual Melungeons !

[@johnathoncastro]

so where are the modern day melungeons? the people who claim they are melungeons now look nothing like these people. Most carribean people are Taino / African / and Spanish decent. Even they dont look like these people.

[@PrettyGoodLookin]

Sir, You are doing this topic little justice...bc you are spreading INACCURATE information !

[@pieterkock695]

why are you repeating everything three to four times? is tis meant for dopamine addicts?

[@noname-by3qz]

Im pretty sure they never said "African Americans" yet back then.

[@keijojaanimets4460]

Jews?😆

[@mikkins85710]

The same ways the alien reptile people passed for human.

[@KatJ3st]

Always one of the nutcases has to bring that crap up. Unless you tell me Trump is one of them ..😏

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

You should post a link to the articles and videos that support such an idea otherwise it's alien meaning it seems out of place and has no context and doesn't make sense unless explained which you didn't