Americans with Sub-Saharan African ancestry for historical reasons: slavery, partus sequitur ventrem, one-eighth law, the one-drop rule of 20th-century legislation, have frequently been classified as black (historically) or African American, even if they have significant European American or Native American ancestry. As slavery became a racial caste, those who were enslaved and others of any African ancestry were classified by what is termed "hypodescent" according to the lower status ethnic group. Many of majority European ancestry and appearance "married white" and assimilated into white society for its social and economic advantages, such as generations of families identified as Melungeons, now generally classified as white but demonstrated genetically to be of European and sub-Saharan African ancestry. COUNT 13
QSN1 Americans with African ancestry have always been classified as what race? ANS1 black (historically) or African American QSN2 What were slaves and others of African ancestry classified by what term? ANS2 hypodescent QSN3 Melungeons are generally classified as white but what are they genetically what other races? ANS3 European and sub-Saharan African ancestry QSN4 What did many with European ancetry "marry white" and want to be part of the white society? ANS4 for its social and economic advantages QSN5 Which Americans have been historically classified as African American or black? ANS5 Americans with Sub-Saharan African ancestry QSN6 What caused lower classification status for African Americans? ANS6 slavery became a racial caste QSN7 How did many multiracial Americans attain social and economic advantages? ANS7 Many of majority European ancestry and appearance "married white" and assimilated into white society QSN8 What are some historical reasons multiracial Americans have been classified as black? ANS8 slavery, partus sequitur ventrem, one-eighth law, the one-drop rule of 20th-century legislation QSN9 What is the group called who are genetically sub Saharan and European but are classified as white? ANS9 Melungeons, QSN10 What is Melungeon? ANS10 genetically to be of European and sub-Saharan African ancestry. QSN11 What does it mean to have "marred white"? ANS11 assimilated into white society QSN12 What were those with Sub-Saharan African ancestory classified as? ANS12 black (historically) or African American QSN13 What were slaves and Africans classified by? ANS13 hypodescent