Why do many Black and white Americans have distant Native American ancestry?

by Vladith

Are they the descendants of mountain men, settlers, and former slaves who married into tribes?

rutledge2

Good question. My answer violates the rules of this reddit as it is a personal family one. My family had a fairly detailed history written in the late 50s (I read most of it, but my father has our family copy) that talks about one of my ancestors in SC around 1760 or so, marrying a Cherokee woman. That 'branch' of the family later moved to Tennessee.