<< prevented people of any race from owning land in Virginia.. ALL FREE MEN IN VIRGINIA could own land from the beginning of the Colonies..>> 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 THE MELUNGEON HEALTH EDUCATION AND SUPPORT NETWORK: http://www.melungeonhealth.org SPARKS Genealogy: http://SparksGenealogy.net