Is it true that most American caucasians have African-American ancestors?

Question

Just wondering if most caucasians have African-American blood running through their veins from past ancestors.

I heard it in one of those science channels...Discovery, maybe.

Answer 1

The first signs of man were found in Africa, that is why it is assumed that everybody actually has african american heritage.

Answer 2

Yes, I read that in my sociology book too, there were some statistical figures which I cannot recall know -and I'm too lazy to go and pick up the book- but the one I read was about the British, not about white Americans.

Edit: My curiosity won over my laziness. "Recent research has suggested that 30% of 'white' Americans have some black parentage in their family history and roughly 18% of black Americans have white ancestry. About 10 % of African Americans are 50% white by ancestry" About the British: "It has been estimated that the number of slaves and other black people that lived in Britain in the 18th century means that one in five white British people has a direct black ancestor"

Answer 3

If you accept that Africa was the cradle of civilisation, then I guess you could say that. I dont know enough about it to say for sure but it would seem that eventually genes were changed into a basic of about 3 distinct races of humans.

I am sure all humans have lines of genes almost identical since even the chimp has genes almost identical. I dont know if it was adaptation to different climates or what that created different "races".

Answer 4

Do not listen to everything you hear.

MANY Americans have ancestry that immigrated from Europe at the end of the 1800s or early 1900s.  I think it might be reasonable that African Americans who were here in the mid 1800s, may have caucasian heritage.  I don't the other other way around is correct, at all.  

Answer 5

You got it mixed up.

Answer 6

African blood YES as we all come from the Rift Valley in Africa