Are you related to any of the Presidents of the United States of America? It can be very exciting to discover that there is someone famous in your family tree. Today, I learned that if you are related to any U.S. President, you might very well be related to all of them.
My husband and I went to the California Mid State Fair. This is something we enjoy doing every summer. We like to go and take a look at the farm animals, and to see the reptile show. It’s fun to see what the many vendors are selling each year, and there is always a wide variety of great tasting, (and bad for you), “fair food” to eat. I never expected to go to the fair and get a lesson in genealogy, but that is exactly what happened.
There was a booth that had a large poster that showed a photo of all of the American Presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama. Next to each, was a list of that President’s ancestors. The booth was for “We are all related”, who specialize in lineages of the U.S. Presidents. The poster shows that all of the Presidents, (except one) are connected to one common ancestor: King John “Lackland” Plantagenet. Martin van Buren is the only President who is not related to that ancestor. However, he still is a cousin to several of the other Presidents. That is remarkable!
Most of us have heard stories that connect one President to another one in some way. There is the story about several odd coincidences that link President Kennedy with President Lincoln. After a new President takes office, the press often inquires about who his favorite president happens to be. This is the first time I have ever seen someone connect all of the Presidents together with a common ancestor!
Another interesting thing about “We are all related” is the person behind it. BridgeAnne d’Avignon, a seventh grader from Central California, is the one who made this discovery. She wants to be able to travel to Washington, to present this framed chart to President Obama. Copies of her chart showing how all the Presidents are connected are available from their website.
Also on the website is a club you can join, called the Presidential Ancestors Club. Their goal is to help people discover if they, too, are related to the U.S. Presidents. Upload a copy of your family tree to their database. Then, you can search the database, to see if you are also a descendant of King John. It’s an interesting resource to use, and may give you some exciting results!