Quadroon

Quadroon is a term derived from the Spanish language word cuarterón, from cuarto, "quarter", from Latin quartus. It refers to a person with 3 European grandparents and one African; being 1/4 "black" ancestry. This term is considered obsolete and is no longer in general use.

Related Topics:
Spanish language - Latin - Europe - Africa

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This was part of a race classification used in the Spanish and French colonies in the New World, and to some extent also used in the Southern United States in the 19th century.

Related Topics:
Race - Spanish - French - New World - Southern United States - 19th century

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Quadroons were considered "colored" and often subject to slavery in the colonial era.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The French writer Alexandre Dumas, père was a quadroon and, in spite of his talent and popularity had to endure racism.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Kate Chopin's Désirée's Baby a quadroon boy is fanning Désirée's baby when suddenly she realizes that he is the same color as her child. Although her skin is whiter than her husband's, he accuses her of not being white.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The term quadroon is also used in several of Anne Rice's novels that are set in New Orleans. She uses the term to refer to the mixed ancestry of several characters; these include a family branch of the Mayfair Witches and the various prostitutes, barmaids or evildoers taken as victims by some of the vampires in The Vampire Chronicles.

Related Topics:
Anne Rice - Mayfair Witches - The Vampire Chronicles.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~