Joseph Sparrowhawk and Sarah Persinger 4

Sarah and Joseph had several children. In the state of Virginia at the time it was against the law to marry a Native American. Native people were not even considered human beings. White or Black were the only classifications. If a person was Mulatto, the person was an outcast. They were in neither class. Sarah had several Mulatto children, and they were taken away from her. The state of Virginia took her to court, and wanted to know who the father of the children was. She would not tell them. The children were considered wards of Overseers of the Poor. Andrew was the brother of Sarah, so he ended up taking the children. Interestingly enough while the children were in the Overseer of the Poor they were considered Mulatto, but once they were moved into the house of Andrew they were considered White. I am sure this made their lives a little easier, but they were still Mulatto to some people.

Sarah married another man later in life, and Joseph had to walk the Trail of Tears with two of the children he and Sarah shared. The two children were darker complected and Sarah and Joseph thought it would be too difficult for them to be considered White. Joseph died in Oklahoma, and Sarah stayed in Virginia.