▁the ▁moth ers ▁were ▁free . ▁While ▁they ▁were ▁subject ▁to ▁disc rim ination , ▁gain ing ▁free ▁status ▁helped ▁these ▁families ▁get ▁ahead ▁in ▁society . ▁▁ ▁Hein eg g ▁noted ▁that ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁free ▁people ▁of ▁color ▁migr ated ▁west ▁with ▁white ▁neighb ors ▁and ▁settled ▁on ▁the ▁front iers ▁of ▁Virginia , ▁what ▁became ▁West ▁Virginia , ▁Kentucky ▁and ▁Tennessee , ▁as ▁these ▁areas ▁were ▁less ▁bound ▁by ▁ra cial ▁cas te ▁than ▁were ▁the ▁T ide water ▁plant ation ▁areas . ▁On ▁the ▁front ier , ▁sett lers ▁were ▁more ▁concerned ▁about ▁people ▁ful fill ing ▁social ▁oblig ations ▁as ▁citizens . ▁Hein eg g ' s ▁work ▁was ▁pra ised ▁by ▁, ▁an ▁expert ▁in ▁Southern ▁history , ▁and ▁won ▁a ▁gene al ogy ▁award . ▁▁ ▁Hein eg g ▁analyz ed ▁gener ations ▁of ▁many ▁families ▁class ified ▁as ▁free ▁black s ▁on ▁those ▁first ▁two ▁cens uses . ▁He ▁noted ▁that , ▁for ▁the ▁early ▁May le / M ale ▁family , ▁many ▁records ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 7 9 0 s ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁class ified ▁members ▁as ▁" free ▁black ", ▁" free ▁mul atto ", ▁" free ▁colored ", ▁etc . ▁▁ ▁He ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁following ▁individuals ▁are ▁sons ▁of ▁Wil more ▁May le ▁( Mail , ▁Male ), ▁Sr . ▁( Note ▁that , ▁prior ▁to ▁ 1 8 4 3 , ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁Bar bour ▁County ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁T yg art ▁Valley