The Present State of Virginia

In my mean Judgment it seems not improbable that when Noah had cursed the Posterity of Ham, and reserved different blessings for Shem and Japheth, God set a distinguishing Colour upon their Bodies, and ingrasted in their Nature various Tempers, and endowed them with separate Talents. From whence their Posterity are of three different Complexions and Countenances, as is apparent in White, Black, and Brown People, which by Mixtures, or from Climates or otherwise are subdivided : Parcularly the brown Children of Shem have two peculiar Aspects different from each other, and distinct from all the rest; one proper to the Jews, the Sons of Peleg, and the other belonging to the East and West-Indies, the Sons of Joktan, Peleg's younger Brother.
     To the white Posterity of Japheth, viz. to the Europeans in particular are Noah's Words (Gen.ix.27.) very applicable, where he said, that God should enlarge Japheth, and he should dwell in the Tents of Shem, and Canaan shall be his Servant; which seems fulfilled in our Possession of Lands in the East and West-Indies, the Tents of the Sons of Shem, where Canaan or the Negroe is our Servant and Slave; and as it is said of him in the 25th Verse, a Servant of Servants is Canaan unto his Brethren.
     For the Negroes seem evidently to be Descendants from some of the Sons of Canaan. For it is not to be supposed that the Jews destroyed them all, for the Families of the Canaanites, were Spread abroad, Gen. x. 18. so that probably in process of Time they possessed Africa. As for the Blessing upon Shem in the 26th Verse, and Canaan being his Servant ;