Who do you Know?
Who had the shortest tenure as President of the United States? If you answered Ronald Regan, you are incorrect. However, if you said William Henry Harrison, you win! He served for a total of thirty days and died of pneumonia. Congratulations on all your success!
I intend not to give you a blog on U.S. Presidential History, but I want to show you some exciting connections you may be unaware of. For example, William Henry Harrison was the son of Benjamin Harrison V (5th), one of our country's founding fathers. That got me thinking; how many presidents had fathers who were the original signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence, and only two of those men had sons who would be President of the United States. The first was the 6th President of the U.S., John Quincy Adams.
William Henry Harrison
Father, Help me
He was the son of the 2nd President of the U.S., Quincy Adams. The second was the 9th President of the U.S., William Henry Harrison. William was the son of Benjamin Harrison V. However; there is a twist. William had a grandson named Benjamin, and he became the 23rd President in 1888.
Over There
What other connections can we make to the men who have led our country over the past 233 years? Here are some of the interesting ones:
James Madison and Zachary Taylor were second cousins. James Madison was a devoted student of history, law, and politics. As an influential Founder, he played a leading role in framing the Constitution and introducing the Bill of Rights.
Conversely, Zachary Taylor was a military hero who arguably knew little about government, law, or politics when he was elected. As a result, the Father of the Constitution and the President, a first-time voter in his election, are related. Who knew?
Let's have a look at the Roosevelts; they were fifth cousins. Teddy was Eleanor's Uncle. When Franklin and Eleanor married, Teddy gave the bride away. Teddy's signature is seen on Franklin and Eleanor's marriage certificate.
We are Family
Genealogists have determined that FDR is related – by blood or marriage – to a total of eleven presidents: George Washington, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, James Madison, Zachary Taylor, William Henry Harrison, Benjamin Harrison, Martin Van Buren, Ulysses S. Grant, and William Howard Taft.
Finally, we can look back to our not too distant past. George Herbert Walker Bush and George Walker Bush were the second father-son duo to reach the White House behind John Adam's family.
The King and I
As I look back on our country's history, I can't help but see patterns and connections. The adage "it is who you know, not what you know" has stuck with me for years. Some of you may remember back in 2009, a 12-year-old girl stumbled onto an incredible genealogical connection: Every American President but Martin Van Buren shares a common ancestor.
BridgeAnne d'Avignon, then a seventh-grader from Salinas, California, began studying ancestral lineage as a summer project. Inspired by her grandfather's 60-year-long dedication to researching presidential genealogy.
BridgeAnne searched through countless records and certificates and looked into the background of several presidents. As a result, she noticed each President seemed to be related to, of all people, Robin Hood's enemy, John "Lackland" Plantagenet. Remember your history? On June 15, 1215, King John affixed his seal to Magna Carta in a field at Runnymede. Confronted by 40 rebellious barons, he consented to their demands to avert civil war.
We Are All Related
Likewise, genealogists had previously genetically linked 22 of the presidents; they hadn't been able to find a common ancestor for the majority of the men. However, this young woman took an estimated 500,000 documents and months of difficult work to solve a historical mystery.
An infographic titled "We Are All Related" depicts the connected relationships our all but one of our Presidents, Martin van Buren. Furthermore, the Library of Congress's exhibit of the Magna Carta included BridgeAnne's work.
Above all, I find it interesting that the term conspiracy theory or ruling elite brings to mind foolhardiness in some circles. Yet, we have all the information we would need to see that an 11th-century King of England has an overwhelming majority of descendants with the highest level of power only 46 men have owned for the past 233 years in the U.S.
If we look further into the identity of King John, we find that he was not a man of high character. As a result, many people considered King John to be one of the worst ruling Kings in the history of England. In addition to losing Northing France, he laid significant taxes on his lords and subjects. He even waged war with the church, and the Pope threatened to excommunicate him. John was a petty, spiteful, and cruel man, and his stubbornness characterized his reign. There is a reason why he is always the antagonist in literary adaptations, be it William Shakespeare's play or the story of Robin Hood.
People Have Rights, right?
It amazes me that this ruler is the template for leading voices of government. The Magna Carta is, in simple terms, a document that gave certain rights to the English people. It stated that the king must follow the law. He could not simply rule as he wished. Ask yourself, isn't that why we created the United States Constitution?
We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
The Constitution's preamble was signed in convention on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788.
Based on the information I shared today, we can plainly see that we are all connected. There is no separation or borders, just in our minds. Isn't it time to remind the King John's of the world that we, the people desire change?
