Ancestry - Trace it For a Surprise

Have you ever tried to trace your ancestry? It is fun and exciting to learn about our ancestors, but it is like any puzzle not so easy. In fact the more you do it, the harder it gets. Some have even resorted to DNA techniques to insure they are right. Tracing your ancestry and family name is challenging and rewarding and it is always fun when you find some notable in history you are related to.

We are all related to some notables in history. I recently traced my ancestry and indeed I have heard of the Pocahontas connection and it is well researched, I am related to Pocahontas? Go figure, no way? Yes way! Then I found out that there is a gentleman out of Texas who has complete verification of this and he even has DNA proof which you can check yourself against on the bloodline issues. I met another family line and corresponded with them and found ties to Edgar Allen Poe, which is very cool; but predictable, as Allen is a Mayflower name and most of the folks did inter breed somewhat. I also found out that I have 12 Mayflower names in my tree. Maybe you do too. Did you know that 18 million Americans have at least one ancestor who came over on the Mayflower, isn't that cool?

You might also learn if you are related to Presidents, I found out I was and that I am an 8th cousins of FDR (twice removed in my case), related to President Garfield to. I also learned that Bill Gates has Winslow grandparents, so other notables in the present period also share my genes, interesting stuff indeed. I also found out that Friedrick Winslow Taylor who invented modern business management is related thru his mother Ann Winslow.

The more you look the more you will find for instance our family had all sorts of cool family lines such as Russell, Walker, Wood, Barker, Baker, Nelson. Actually the list is so long and reaching it is kind of scary. I guess you could say some of my ancestors had built this country. I even found out that Bush, Kerry are also off shoots of the same family lines as me. Did you know they are related in blood? I happen to find out the Vice President Cheney's ancestors are on my Mom's side of things. Winslow's also seem to have married well along the way.

You can literally trace the progression of your families ancestry as they moved across the states, continent, oceans, wow. Tracing your ancestry is a cool hobby, but soon you find out why you are how you are. Each piece is a mystery until it unfolds. I put my ancestry down to help others who are related to my ancestors too, it is a fun way to collaborate, everyone is doing it.

If I can trace my ancestry, surely you can too. In fact you might find you are much better at it than I am. But I must warn you that you will be surprised with what you find out there, lots of cool surprises await you. In fact over 800,000 Americans are related to Royal Lines of Europe. Maybe you are one? Who knows, think about it.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.