Enslavement to
freedom

 
  Young African American man sitting at a desk in circa 1910 clothing composes a letter by oil lamp light.

 

 

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2004 Mail

Reply to Bonnie Jansen on Native American Heritage

From Calobe Jackson, Jr., July 9, 2004

Dear Bonnie,
your letter about some possible Indian Heritage is very interesting. Many African Americans often talk of Indian Heritage when they are giving oral histories, although they cannot document the connection. In my own family I found that my great grand parents had the last name of Applewhite, which is supposed to be of Indian heritage. However in the 1870 census they are listed as Black. One of my cousins tried to use this information to lay claim to possible relationship to Indian Tribes that operated the Indian Casinos. He found that one must prove a relationship to a tribe that was on reservations in the 1910 census before one can even file for possible Indian connections.

I recently read a review that claims that many Indians were possible absorbed and/or listed as Blacks or Mulattos in the census records after the 1790 census. The number of free Blacks increased exponentially after 1790 and no one is sure why. One reason may be that some Indians were counted as free Blacks or Mulattos.

You may have Indian or Black blood in your family and it's knowledge was not disclosed.

Calobe Jackson

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