The Portuguese Making of America : Melungeons and Early Settlers of America

Early American history before the 17th century is rather vague. The 15th and 16th centuries are often called the lost or forgotten centuries in American history. The author has painstakingly done a lengthy research on the attempts of one particular group to settle in North America since the early 15th century. The Portuguese people are one the oldest European group of settlers, probably the first to arrive in this continent and permanently settle among the natives in a peaceful manner. This book follows their quest for a better life in the New World and of other groups who consider themselves Portuguese, such as the Melungeons of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.