Conversation so far:
What was their origin?
children were assigned the social status and ethnicity of their mother, regardless of their father's ethnicity or citizenship.
What classified their origin ?
Each family line has to be traced separately.
What states did they originate in?
According to the principle of partus sequitur ventrem, which Virginia incorporated into law in 1662.

Question: What was the most common mixed race?
Self-contained rewrite: What was the most common mixed race for the Melungeon?