Local student finds all but one U.S. presidents are related

A Salinas girl on a quest to trace her own family has discovered a common ancestor for all American presidents except one.

[YaRite]

one of my fathers grand-relatives had a genealogy that claimed our last name back to 1640-something when an english pilgrim and his son landed at Plymouth Rock a few years after the first wave.... and there's absolutely no way of verifying most any of it as all those 17th and 18th century village birth records are woefully vague.

[Rhymes with Dumb]

Good point YaRite. Take that middle school girl!

[RobtA]

So what? I happen to be descended from Julius Caesar and Queen Cleopatra. I even look like Julius, more or less. But do the rest of the wannabes descended from my subject, King John, say "Ave!" to me as I walk by? Noooo! That's the problem.

[incomplete]

If village records exist they usually referred to peasants with their lord's name.

It pretty rare you cant link your family back to any important person in history with that.

[RatHole]

Monarchy
shhh, its a secret

[corralitosRes]

What a great story. I would love to buy one of the posters.

[bs_spotter]

"The common link of British royalty is no surprise." I always thought that these genealogical exercises were bogus. It seems that ancestry traces always show that the current US president is ALWAYS related to the current Queen of England. It's just another scam perpetuated to legitimize the rule of the current incumbent, who in ideal circumstances would not even be in office. I agree with the other poster parish birth and marriage certificates and town records older then a few hundred years are almost impossible to find, and frequently were destroyed in fires and such. What will the incumbents claim next? The Divine Right of Kings? If it is true that all the US presidents are related, then the myth of democracy is even sketchier then it already is.

[Steve Hartman]

If "every" President but Van Buren is related, the fault must lie with Jefferson.(L'il joke there!)

Congratulations to one awe-inspiring 12 year-old. Good job!

[relating]

We're all related.....to Lucy from Africa.

[James Anderson Merritt]

Just remember that King John had to be FORCED to sign the Magna Carta, just as it is looking as if we may have to FORCE the ruling classes in DC and Sacramento to straighten up and fly right or get out of town.

[First Class]

Why does she need $10,000 to get to D.C.?

[5genSC]

bs_spotter wrote:

"The common link of British royalty is no surprise." I always thought that these genealogical exercises were bogus. It seems that ancestry traces always show that the current US president is ALWAYS related to the current Queen of England. It's just another scam perpetuated to legitimize the rule of the current incumbent, who in ideal circumstances would not even be in office. I agree with the other poster parish birth and marriage certificates and town records older then a few hundred years are almost impossible to find, and frequently were destroyed in fires and such. What will the incumbents claim next? The Divine Right of Kings? If it is true that all the US presidents are related, then the myth of democracy is even sketchier then it already is.

How does that legitimize the rule of those in power? If anything it proves conspiracy (your latter point about the myth of democracy). I don't doubt for a minute that they are all related to King John. Unfortunately power is passed down through generations, and democracy is essentially a sham (yes you can choose, but one must chose from a pool of descendants of kings).

This kid did a good job of bringing up something interesting and questionable about our history and current political structure. Good Job!

[5genSC]

First Class wrote:

Why does she need $10,000 to get to D.C.?

I would imagine that as a minor she is bringing her family, and DC can be expensive.

[Richard Saunders]

I think it is a cool project. She is only 12 years old.

How many 12 year olds even know who the president is or even cares?

[Downtown and Around]

I was with her right up 'til that $10,000 to go to Washington DC. That's a mighty fancy trip she's planning.

[Martin VanB]

So who the heck am I related to? Tyler Perry? Wilford Brimley? Richard Nixon? Fearless Dick Cheney? Inquiring minds want to know....

[OKAY]

Martin VanB wrote:

So who the heck am I related to? Tyler Perry? Wilford Brimley? Richard Nixon? Fearless Dick Cheney? Inquiring minds want to know....

Peter Lemonjello and Gilbert O'Sullivan.

[Ruffy]

"to help raise $10,000 to travel to Washington D.C."

It's a nobel cause and all, and a fun, if slightly absurd, genealogical exercise, but....

What?!?! She needs 10 grand?!?!?!

Let's see, SFO to DC on Virgin for $239 per person. She'll need an adult, so we're at $478. Let's assume a step up from the Quality Inn ($96/night for 2) and go with the Churchill Hotel for $169/night. Give them a good stay, 5 nights, and we're at $1323 for two people for air and 5 nights in DC.

Is the other $8677 for spending money? Bribing officials to see the president? Seriously, who are they kidding. I bet her grandpa put her up to this.

[Ruffy]

"If it is true that all the US presidents are related, then the myth of democracy is even sketchier then it already is."

No not really, because if you trace back a few hundred years, the number of "relatives" that can be attributed to any one individual is astronomical.

Take a checkerboard, and place one penny on the first square, two on the next, four on the next, eight on the next and so on. By just the 15th square you'll have over 32,000 pennies.

[Louise]

What's wrong with sending the poster...even by certified mail...10,000 seems like a lot, i had hoped that she was raising the money for a "christian" not a selfish cause.