1705: the child of an Indian is legally a "mulatto" (Virginia colony, Oct. 1705)
Record: the document says itPattern: documents line upLens: our readingOpen: not yet proven
Year: 1705 · Places: Virginia, Africa
SUMMARY1705: the child of an Indian is legally a "mulatto" (Virginia colony, Oct. 1705) [Connections: Virginia & Eastern Shore, Nov 5, 2026]
RECORD"An act declaring who shall not bear office" provides that "the child of an Indian and the child, grand child, or great grand child, of a negro" "shall be deemed, accounted, held and taken to be a mulatto." HOSTILE
WITNESSThe colonial assembly wrote this to keep people out of office
PATTERNFrom the start of Virginia's statute law, "mulatto" covers Native people as well as people of African descent. A "mulatto" in Virginia records can be an Indian's child
LENS (WW9)In 1705 the law itself made Native children "mulatto."
OPENHow county clerks applied this to Eastern Shore Native families in practice
SOURCEEncyclopedia Virginia, Act of Oct. 1705. Primary: Hening, Statutes at Large, vol. 3, pp. 250–252.