> Just to add to what Cheryl supplied, here is the chart of "parties du >blanc," or parts white used in French societies to determine admixture. If >you were 128 parts white--you were completely white, anything less, made >you "less." The chart was published by Moreau De Saint-Mery, originally >published in 1789, and republished in 1958. (Keep in mind that this is in >French.) > > Parts White >Sacartra = 8 to 23 >Griffe = 24 to 39 >Marabou = 40 to 48 >Mulatre = 49 to 70 >Quarteron = 71 to 100 >Metif = 101 to 112 >Mamelouc = 113 to 120 >Querteronne = 121 to 124 >Sang-Mele = 125 to 127 > >Interesting points: >In order to be a Sang-Mele, you would have to go back to an 11th great >grandparent ( with your generation being the 12th). The 13th >generation--children of the Sang-meles and a white person are finally >'pure' white. > Sang-mele is translated means tainted blood or heritage. > Melvin noted that people could just cross over into white society. Not >necessarily. They had to leave their home of record and everyone they knew >to make it work. The Free People of Color in Saint Domingue traveled >extensively to Europe, joined foreign militaries (German, etc), owned 25 >percent of the wealth of the island, educated their children abroad, but >were always known as people of color. There were a few routes of escape. >One could travel to Australia, and South America and "became" something >else, but again, that meant giving up your past. > The study of the Caribbean, especially Saint Domingue, is fascinating >especially with regard to slavery and race relations. American slave >owners took their cues from the Caribbean countries--positive and negative. > They used similar tactics used in the Caribbean, like the Slave Kit to >control slaves in the US. They were also afraid to allow FPOC into the >states during the Haitian revolution because it was the FPOC stirred on by >their white friends in Paris, Des Amis Noire, during the French Revolution >that started the Haitian Revolution. Most people think of it as a slave >rebellion, and it did become that, but that is not how the revolution >started. The FPOC could not win without the slaves, so they enlisted them. > But I digress. > >Debbie > >At 10:47 AM 3/8/98 -0600, you wrote: >>Afrigeneas, >> The following is a chart of racial distinctions which should answer >>the question of what is a griff or griffe (French masculine and feminine). >>These distinctions were commonly used in old Louisiana French and Spanish >>documents to discribe the parentage of a person of color. I hope the >>carriage >>control keeps on this chart. If not the a person who is a griff is one who >>is >>a product of parents where one is a mulatto and the other parent is a >>person >>of African descent. >> >> >> CHART OF RACIAL DISTINCTIONS > >> A >> >> >> Negro White >> | >> Mulatto > >> B >> >> >> Negro Mulatto White >> >> | | >> Griffe Quadroon >> >> C >> >> >> Negro Griffe Mulatto Quadroon White >> | | | >>| >> Sacatra Marabou Metif Mameluke > >> D >> Quadroon Mameluke White >> | | >> Metif Quarteronn >> >> E > >> Quarteronn White >> | >> Sang-Mele > >>Source: L. Gentil Tippenhauer-"Die Insel Haiti"- Leipzig, 1893 p. 448 >> >> by Rene Le Gardeur- Noted authority on St.Domingue (Haiti) >> >> >>CherrylM@AOL.com >>Baker, LA >>************************************** >>Researching Southwest Louisiana Parishes, surnames of MERCIER, WILTZ, >>ESCLAVON (LaVIOLETTE), DeCLOUET, MASSE, JEANLOUIS/ LOUIS, SHAY (CHAIX), >>GUIDRY, BASILE (CHAISSON), BARRAS, LeBLANC, and HENRY >>************************************** >>Also researching the old west Florida Parishes surnames of FORBES, DUNN, >>CARTER, SCOTT, DeARMOND, EVANS, GAINES, CURRY and PATTERSON >> > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------- >- African Ancestored Genealogy Discussion >- To unsubscribe, email: Majordomo@MsState.Edu >- In body of message: unsubscribe afrigeneas >- >- Afrigeneas archives: http://www.msstate.edu/listarchives/afrigeneas/ >------------------------------------------------------------------------- >