DNA Tests Are Revealing a Hidden American Secret

DESCRIÇÃO:A recent analysis of ancient DNA from a 17th-century Maryland colony has revealed a hidden American secret: more than 1.3 million living people are direct genetic relatives of the nation's earliest European settlers.This groundbreaking research may also have solved one of history's most persistent mysteries—the fate of a child of primarily African ancestry buried among the colonists.In this episode, we explore the astonishing findings from a collaboration between the 23andMe Research Institute, Harvard University, and the Smithsonian Institution. By studying DNA from 49 individuals buried in St. Mary's City between 1634 and 1730, researchers linked millions of modern Americans to these founding colonists .More than 1.3 million people in the 23andMe database share DNA with at least one person buried at the Chapel Field cemetery, with a particularly strong connection to western England and Wales . The genetic analysis also revealed a rich link between the colonists and people living in Louisville, Kentucky today—a result of a post-Revolutionary War migration of Catholic families fleeing anti-Catholic bias .Perhaps the most significant discovery is the identification of three previously unknown individuals from the cemetery, including the remains of what is believed to be Thomas Greene, Maryland's second governor . This marks the first time ancient DNA has been used to identify unknown historical figures without prior knowledge of who they might have been .The team also uncovered the story of a young boy of primarily African ancestry, buried among the European colonists in a carefully crafted coffin—a significant find that highlights the often-overlooked diversity of America's early history .Tune in to discover how DNA is rewriting the American story, revealing connections between the past and present that were once thought lost to history.