US Black Heritage Anti-Miscegenation (marriage) Laws

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

US Black Heritage Project Home Page

Anti-Miscegenation laws in the USA prevented marriage between people of different races. When researching families, it can be helpful to know when interracial marriage became legal in each state. Nine states never had anti-miscegenation laws. Sixteen states had their anti-miscegenation laws overturned by the landmark court case Loving v. Virginia.

Anti-Miscegenation Laws Repealed or Overturned by State

The following list each state and the year their anti-miscegenation laws were repealed or overturned.

• Alabama (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• Alaska (never had)
• Arizona (1962)
• Arkansas (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• California (1948)
• Colorado (1957)
• Connecticut (never had)
• Delaware (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• Florida (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• Georgia (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• Hawaii (never had)
• Idaho (1959)
• Illinois (1874)
• Indiana (1965)
• Iowa (1851)
• Kansas (1859, before achieving statehood)
• Kentucky (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• Louisiana (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• Maine (1883)
• Maryland (1967)
• Massachusetts (1843)
• Michigan (1883)
• Minnesota (never had)
• Mississippi (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• Missouri (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• Montana (1953)
• Nebraska (1963)
• Nevada (1959)
• New Hampshire (never had)
• New Jersey (never had)
• New Mexico (1866, before achieving statehood)
• New York (never had)
• North Carolina (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• North Dakota (1955)
• Ohio (1887)
• Oklahoma (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• Oregon (1951)
• Pennsylvania (1780)
• Rhode Island (1881)
• South Carolina (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• South Dakota (1957)
• Tennessee (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• Texas (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• Utah (1963)
• Vermont (never had)
• Virginia (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• Washington (1868, before achieving statehood)
• West Virginia (overturned by Loving v. Virginia, 1967)
• Wisconsin (never had)
• Wyoming (1965)

Terms used to identify race

Before the American Civil War, free people of color were considered legally white if they had less than either one-eighth or one-quarter African ancestry, depending on the state.

Later, the one drop rule was used in various states, but became especially prevalent in the 20th century. This meant anyone with even one drop of African blood was considered Black. "This rule meant many mixed-race people, of diverse ancestry, were simply seen as African-American, and their more diverse ancestors forgotten and erased."^[1]

The following terms were connected with people to prove their "blackness" and prevent mixed-race marriages. Although they may be considered offensive, these historical terms can be useful to researchers when attempting to identify unknown parentage.

• Mulatto - A person of mixed race who is half white and half Black. (however, it is often used on records, especially census records, for people with various amounts of blood from different races)
• Quadroon or quarteron - A person with one white parent and one mulatto parent. Such a person would be 3/4 white and 1/4 Black.
• Octoroon or metif - A person who has one white parent and one quadroon parent. Such a person would be 7/8 white and 1/8 Black.
• Meamelouc or mamelouque (sextaroon)
• Sextaroon - Also called a meamelouc or mamelouque. A person who is 1/16 Black. The parents would be a full-blooded white and an octoroon.
• Demi-meamelouc - A person who is 1/32 Black. The parents would be a full-blooded white and a sextaroon.
• Sangmelee - A person who is 1/64 Black. The parents would be a full-blooded white and a demimeamelouc.
• Griffe – A person whose parents are a full-blooded Black and a mulatto. Such a person would be 3/4 Black and 1/4 white. The term is also used to describe the offspring of a mulatto and a Native American, or any person of mixed Black and Native American blood.
• Marabou - A person who is 5/8 Black. The parents would be a full-blooded Black and a quadroon.
• Sacatra - A person who is 7/8 Black. The parents would be a full-blooded Black and a griffe.

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-drop_rule

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-miscegenation_laws