Presidents of a feather stick together

[Slargos]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genealogical_relationships_of_Presidents_of_the_United_States

I've seen this mentioned before but I have never given it much thought.

Doesn't it put the whole notion of democracy in a rather poor light?

[The Brain]

Why?

[Slargos]

Why?

Ownership may not be hereditary, but it's certainly kept within a pretty small circle.

[Tonitrus]

I guess it depends on what ratio of the population is, like George W. Bush, within 10 cousins of being related to Barack Obama

[Slargos]

I guess it depends on what ratio of the population is, like George W. Bush, within 10 cousins of being related to Barack Obama

If you took a random sample of 50 people, would they have as many ties to eachother as this group of presidents?

[Tonitrus]

I guess it depends on what ratio of the population is, like George W. Bush, within 10 cousins of being related to Barack Obama

If you took a random sample of 50 people, would they have as many ties to eachother as this group of presidents?

50 random people would be a bad sample.

Like pretty much every head of state (democracy or no), a more accurate sample would mostly have people above a certain wealth/education level.

[Slargos]

I guess it depends on what ratio of the population is, like George W. Bush, within 10 cousins of being related to Barack Obama

If you took a random sample of 50 people, would they have as many ties to eachother as this group of presidents?

50 random people would be a bad sample.

Like pretty much every head of state (democracy or no), a more accurate sample would mostly have people above a certain wealth/education level.

A fair point. 

It just made me curious.

[Razgovory]

If George W. Bush and Barak Obama are 10th cousins, twice removed, then I'm probably distantly related to a President as well.

[Caliga]

I actually believe I am distantly related to Obama.  He has Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry on his mother's side.  I'm at least confident we are descended from the same family, which appears to have only come over to the USA once in (I think) 1739.

[Razgovory]

I've read that a large portion of the population of the UK is descended from Edward III.  I have some English ancestry who came to Massachusetts in the 17th century I think, and since there were not a great many people in the area at the time, I'm probably distantly related to lots folks all over the country.  I think it's related it's called the Founder Effect.  Hell, I might be related to you, Cal.

[Caliga]

Well obviously, everyone is related to everyone else at some level.

The only other notable ancestry I've been able to definitively establish is that I've also got de Crosland ancestry, which means some connection to Sir George Calvert, First Baron Baltimore; my great grandmother's maiden name was Crossland, and her family coat of arms is on the Maryland state flag.  I have not been able to trace her family back beyond her father, though, due to lack of records.

[dps]

I guess it depends on what ratio of the population is, like George W. Bush, within 10 cousins of being related to Barack Obama

If you took a random sample of 50 people, would they have as many ties to eachother as this group of presidents?

50 random people would be a bad sample.

Like pretty much every head of state (democracy or no), a more accurate sample would mostly have people above a certain wealth/education level.

50 is too small a sample size to draw any conclusions (though I know why that number was mentioned).  But take 1000 random people born in the US, regardless of socioeconomic status, and you'd likely see something like the info Slargos linked to.  Once you get past second cousins, you're getting into relations that most people have no idea exist.  (That is to say, most people know what a 3rd or 4th cousin is, but have no idea who any of their 3rd cousins are.)

[Grey Fox]

It is said that we are 6 person away for every other human on earth. It isn't that much of a stretch then.

[Valmy]

I actually believe I am distantly related to Obama.  He has Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry on his mother's side.  I'm at least confident we are descended from the same family, which appears to have only come over to the USA once in (I think) 1739.

Obama, Truman, and me are all descended from the Frenchman Mareen Duvall. 

Glad they mentioned how George Washington is descended from Edward III (and thus also Isabelle Capet).  That dude had some pretty blue blood.

[Razgovory]

I noticed that Bill Clinton was not listed on there.  At least I didn't see him.


I suspect if there were records that go back far enough, you'd find people in the US descended from Pharaohs, Emperors of China, and German Robber Barons.  All in the same person.  It's not hard to imagine some white American has Chinese ancestors from 1500 years back.