Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve “Walked Towards the Sunset” to discover the history of the Melungeons, a tri-racial group of Americans with mysterious origins. By now you should be a real expert on the Melungeon people. But did you realize that two of the most famous Americans you ever heard of are thought to be of Melungeon descent? Was Abraham Lincoln a Melungeon? How about Elvis Presley — was he a Melungeon?
Lincoln made a biographical statement about himself for the Chester County (Illinois) Times newspaper of December 20, 1859. If you’ve been paying attention to the last two articles, you’ll realize that much of what he says about himself fits right in to the Melungeon mold. ”My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families-second families, perhaps I should say…If any personal description of me is thought desirable, it may be said, I am, in height, six feet, four inches, nearly; lean in flesh, weighing, on an average, one hundred and eighty pounds; dark complexion with coarse black hair, and grey eyes — no other marks or brands recollected. Yours very truly, A. Lincoln.”
Abraham Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks (who is buried in Hoosier soil), has long been said to have been a member of the Melungeon community of Appalachian Tennessee and Kentucky. He inherited a dark complexion, coarse, black hair, and grey eyes all of which is consistent with the physical features of the Melungeons. Abraham also inherited color blindness and once told his mother that he could not see things like other people. As Poet Walt Whitman wrote, “I see very plainly Abraham Lincoln’s dark brown face, with the deep cut lines, the eyes always to me, with a deep latent sadness in the expression. …None of the artists or pictures have caught the deep though subtle and indirect expression of this man’s face.”
Speculation about Abraham Lincoln’s lineage predates the Lincoln legend itself. It started during the Lincoln-Douglas slavery debate from the Illinois Senatorial campaign of 1858. Lincoln, the anti-slavery candidate, was accused by supporters of Stephen A. Douglas, the pro-slavery candidate, of having African blood in his veins. During the presidential campaign of 1860, contemporary cartoonists nicknamed him, “Abraham Africanus the First.” If those prognosticating pundits were correct, then Barack Obama was not our country’s first African-American President.
For those interested in Lincoln’s humble beginnings, far better researchers than me have meticulously documented his family tree. And, all Melungeon questions aside, there is some interesting stuff found there. As far as Old Abe’s immediate family, they’re all gone. His blood line ran out pretty quickly. The family line has been extinct since its last undisputed descendant, Abe’s great-great grandson Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, who died on December 24, 1985 without any children. Although the immediate bloodline ended, Mr. Lincoln has some interesting people populating the branches of his extended family tree.
After researching more than three centuries of Abraham Lincoln’s family tree, historians have connected Mr. Lincoln to many familiar names: actor George Clooney is Lincoln’s half-first cousin 5 times removed. Tom Hanks is Lincoln’s 3rd cousin 4 times removed. George Washington is Lincoln’s 13th cousin 3 times removed. Meriwether Lewis is Lincoln’s 14th cousin 2 times removed. General Robert E. Lee is Lincoln’s 14th cousin 2 times removed. Helen Keller is Lincoln’s 15th cousin 1 time removed. Thomas Jefferson is Lincoln’s 15th cousin 4 times removed. Lizzie Borden is Lincoln’s 17th cousin 1 time removed. John Quincy Adams is Lincoln’s 17th cousin 2 times removed. Alexander Hamilton is Lincoln’s 17th cousin 2 times removed. Alfred the Great is Lincoln’s 31st great-grandfather. Charlemagne (King of the Franks and “Father of Europe”) is Lincoln’s 34th great-grandfather.
But for the purposes of this article, the greatest Abraham Lincoln connection is that Honest Abe, Father Abraham, The Great Emancipator, The Railsplitter, is related to The King of Rock-N-Roll, Elvis Presley. Yes, arguably the two most famous Melungeons are kin! Elvis is a direct descendant of Abraham Lincoln’s second great grandfather Isaiah Harrison. Harrison was born in 1666 and died in 1738. He was born in England and came to America in 1687. Both the Lincoln and Presley family trees sprouted from this “root.”
Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1935, far from the traditional stomping grounds of the Melungeon people in the hills of southwestern Virginia. But many historians believe that Elvis Presley was a Melungeon who did indeed have Amerind blood — Cherokee to be exact. The King’s great-great-great-grandmother was Morning Dove White, a Cherokee Indian from Tennessee. That seems to be the bridge to Presley’s Melungeon heritage.
Scientists believe that a stronger case could be made that the King of Rock n’ Roll may have African roots. According to a recent DNA study published in the Journal of Genetic Genealogy, Presley’s molecule encoding falls right in line with the “Melungeons.” Ironically, Presley’s early music was routinely denounced for its “jungle” rhythm and “African” beats. Those critics may have been closer to the truth than they ever dreamed of.
Elvis Presley has been linked to the Melungeons in the past and may even be considered the “Pop Culture Poster Boy” of these mixed race people. Like Abraham Lincoln a century before, Elvis certainly fits the mold of the dark-skinned, dark haired, blue-eyed ex-Appalachian resident. Known by a multitude of names; Black-Dutch, Scotch-Irish, Maroons, Gypsies, Eurasians, Black-Irish, what they all have in common are humble beginnings and a drive to succeed. Isn’t that the nexus of the Lincoln and Presley stories?
Abraham Lincoln and Elvis Presley are perhaps the best known of the Melungeons but by no means are theirs the only famous names found among them. Actresses Cher, Ava Gardner, Heather Locklear, Lauren Hutton; Actors Tom Hanks and Steve Martin; Bluegrass legend Bill Monroe and singer Fiona Apple are counted among the ranks of the Melungeons.
As interest in Melungeons revives, however, more and more individuals are finding hidden clues in family trees. Estimates of those with Melungeon heritage range from 50,000 to 75,000 Americans. Being a Melungeon is not defined by genetics alone. A person might also believe they are Melungeon because of oral tradition, genealogy or family history. Whether Melungeons are a race or a culture may never be resolved. But what is certain is that these proud people, once viewed as accidental outcasts of society, are finally being recognized as true Americans.
Al Hunter is the author of “Haunted Indianapolis” and co-author of the “Indiana National Road” and “Haunted Irvington” book series. Contact Al directly at Huntvault@aol.com or become a friend on Facebook.
