Mixed-Heritage Identities in the Eighteenth Century

Abstract

The second half of the book, beginning with the fourth chapter, turns more to mixed-race identity and looks at the self-identification of Mulattoes in the eighteenth-century British colonies. People of mixed ancestry saw themselves largely through their upbringing in Christianity. In freedom petitions Mulattoes argued that they deserved freedom as they struggled to resist slavery and servitude. This chapter also explains and gives examples of early forms of colorism, or discrimination within non-“white” communities of color, based on light-skinned privilege. While Mulattoes and other people of mixed ancestry most often identified and associated with other Africans and Native Americans, others saw themselves or argued for their position above these groups. Also, people of mixed ancestry used their relatively light skin to engage in racial passing, which included temporary passing as free more often than simply passing as “white” on their way to freedom. In many ways, racial ambiguity allowed mixed-heritage people to engage in a practice of crafting identity in various ways as they struggled to gain freedom.