Nancy I did some research and ran across the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. The 14th Amendment provides, in part, that: "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The 15th Amendment provides that: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." According to this language, the State of Virginia, whether acting through Walter Plecker or otherwise, does not have the right to prevent a person from owning property or voting on account of race. Since these Amendments were adopted after the War Between the States, and since that Conflict was fought, in part, to insure that Blacks were no longer considered "property", I really can't see the Federal government allowing a State to blatantly ignore this provision by passing laws which prevent a person from owning land or voting. The anti-miscegenation laws are another matter entirely, and would not prevent a person from appearing in a tax list. Phil [IN RESPONSE TO:] >> ALL FREE MEN IN VIRGINIA could own land from the beginning of the Colonies [email protected] wrote: > > I did not say ANY race, I said Melungeon and I thought I included Native > Americans and mulatoes etc. And up until abt 1662, I believe that any MAN > not a slave could own land, but after that laws began to change and things > got worse. > > Walter A. Plecker and a lot of other folks were involved in eugenics and > policies which made folks who were not considered 'white' unable to vote, > unable to own land, unable to marry anyone who was considered 'white,' and > kept folks from schooling their children. And yes you are right that the > Melungeons were treated any worse than any other people of color were, but > they were not considered FREE WHITE men and did not have the rights of such. > Don't believe me, do your own research. > NancyS >