I posted this in response to the resent conversation about Indians and census records. Maybe it will help someone. Different states had different policies on who could claim "Indian, Mulatto or Black". This is just one states policy and a very brief look at a dark part of history that I never member hearing about in school as taking place here in the US. I came across this when doing my own research trying to understand why I could not find one person listed as Indian on the 1880 census for the whole state of Maryland on the CD's I purchased from the LDS site. If you have the CD's you can search by race. I couldn't believe that as I found some in PA claiming NA for Native American. I might that during WWII Indians like Blacks did not receive the same benefits as Caucasian men. I have not looked up WWI but I would suppose that might hold true there also. As I said below you will find just one states policy. If you wish to explore the subject further look up the Eugenics Movement or laws again Indians etc. 20th Century Public Policy 1. 1. Eugenics Movement - period of mistreatment. Eugenics was touted by Virginia policymakers as a "science" to breed better people. Protection of the "white race" any way possible, including the forced sterilization of over 8,300 Virginia citizens deemed "feeble-minded." 2. 2. Racial Integrity Law, 1924 - institutionalized eugenics and racial apartheid. Recognized only 2 races: white and colored. Forbid marriage across color lines. Not ended until Loving v. Virginia, a Supreme Court case that finally ended the prohibition against mixed marriages 3. 3. Walter Plecker led the movement for "racial cleansing." Director of Virginia Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1916-1946. An internationally known eugenicist. He pursued a person mission to eliminate Indians as a people. 4. 4. Plecker reclassifies race category on birth, death, and marriage certificates - must be either "colored" or white 5. 5. Plecker threatened any midwife who identified any newborn as American Indian 6. 6. He had all Indians he could identify (using native surnames and 1705 "mulatto" designations) classified as "Negroes" 7. 7. Eugenics movement was devastating to Virginia's Indians -purging of their real identities in local records meant they had no way later to prove their Indian ancestry. They were also forced to marry only "coloreds"

Carol~ Isn't that an "eye" opener!!??!! I found that out when my daughter-in-law told me of her & her parents quest for proof of her g grandparents ethnic background in north west Ohio! I know I came across prejudice of this type from a co worker in the Health Care area a few years back. She had come from the Dakotas and was quite verbal about her racism for native Americans. It just shocked me! My daughter-in-law has a wonderful ethnic background of Irish, Italian and Native American. When I look at the 2 beautiful grandchildren she & my son have, I hope I will have their ancestors stories all complete for them to read & be proud some day of it! Mary Ellen Chambers carol vivier <Carolvivier@ca.rr.com> wrote: I posted this in response to the resent conversation about Indians and census records. Maybe it will help someone. Different states had different policies on who could claim "Indian, Mulatto or Black". This is just one states policy and a very brief look at a dark part of history that I never member hearing about in school as taking place here in the US. I came across this when doing my own research trying to understand why I could not find one person listed as Indian on the 1880 census for the whole state of Maryland on the CD's I purchased from the LDS site. If you have the CD's you can search by race. I couldn't believe that as I found some in PA claiming NA for Native American. I might that during WWII Indians like Blacks did not receive the same benefits as Caucasian men. I have not looked up WWI but I would suppose that might hold true there also. As I said below you will find just one states policy. If you wish to explore the subject further look up the Eugenics Movement or laws again Indians etc. 20th Century Public Policy 1. 1. Eugenics Movement - period of mistreatment. Eugenics was touted by Virginia policymakers as a "science" to breed better people. Protection of the "white race" any way possible, including the forced sterilization of over 8,300 Virginia citizens deemed "feeble-minded." 2. 2. Racial Integrity Law, 1924 - institutionalized eugenics and racial apartheid. Recognized only 2 races: white and colored. Forbid marriage across color lines. Not ended until Loving v. Virginia, a Supreme Court case that finally ended the prohibition against mixed marriages 3. 3. Walter Plecker led the movement for "racial cleansing." Director of Virginia Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1916-1946. An internationally known eugenicist. He pursued a person mission to eliminate Indians as a people. 4. 4. Plecker reclassifies race category on birth, death, and marriage certificates - must be either "colored" or white 5. 5. Plecker threatened any midwife who identified any newborn as American Indian 6. 6. He had all Indians he could identify (using native surnames and 1705 "mulatto" designations) classified as "Negroes" 7. 7. Eugenics movement was devastating to Virginia's Indians -purging of their real identities in local records meant they had no way later to prove their Indian ancestry. They were also forced to marry only "coloreds" ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MDALLEGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message