Depiction Of Thomas Jefferson
& Sally Hemming:
On September 20, 1664, Maryland Passed The First Amalgamation Law. This Was Intnded To Prevent English Men From Marrying African Women.
Interracial Marriage Was A Fairly Common Practice During The Colonial Era Among White Indentured Servants And Black Slaves --- As Well As In More Aristocratic Circles.
The Puritan Law Did Not Deter Many Colonialists, However. One Colonial Writing Observed That "Mulatto" Children Swarmed Virginia. Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry And Daniel Boone All Had An Affinity For Black Women.
After Independence Race Mixing Shifted More Towards Slave Owners Having Sexual Relationships With Slave Women. A Popular Saying Was: "The Best Blood Of The South Runs In The Veins Of The Slave."
Mixed Marriage Bans Were Lifted During Reconstruction In The Early 1870's. But By The End Of The Decade Such Unions Were Declared Illegal. It Wasn't Until The 1950's And 1960's That These Laws Were Lifted.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS
On September 20, 1664, Maryland Passed The First Amalgamation Law. This Was Intnded To Prevent English Men From Marrying African Women.
Interracial Marriage Was A Fairly Common Practice During The Colonial Era Among White Indentured Servants And Black Slaves --- As Well As In More Aristocratic Circles.
The Puritan Law Did Not Deter Many Colonialists, However. One Colonial Writing Observed That "Mulatto" Children Swarmed Virginia. Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry And Daniel Boone All Had An Affinity For Black Women.
After Independence Race Mixing Shifted More Towards Slave Owners Having Sexual Relationships With Slave Women. A Popular Saying Was: "The Best Blood Of The South Runs In The Veins Of The Slave."
Mixed Marriage Bans Were Lifted During Reconstruction In The Early 1870's. But By The End Of The Decade Such Unions Were Declared Illegal. It Wasn't Until The 1950's And 1960's That These Laws Were Lifted.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
