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[ClovingWestbrook]

Ancestry.com Discovers President Obama Related to First Documented Slave in America

Research Connects First African-American President to First African Slave in the American Colonies

PROVO, UTAH – July 30, 2012 – A research team from Ancestry.com (NASDAQ:ACOM), the world’s largest online family history resource, has concluded that President Barack Obama is the 11thgreat-grandson of John Punch, the first documented African enslaved for life in American history. Remarkably, the connection was made through President Obama’s Caucasian mother’s side of the family.

The discovery is the result of years of research by Ancestry.com genealogists who, through early Virginia records and DNA analysis, linked Obama to John Punch. An indentured servant in Colonial Virginia, Punch was punished for trying to escape his servitude in 1640 by being enslaved for life. This marked the first actual documented case of slavery for life in the colonies, occurring decades before initial slavery laws were enacted in Virginia.

In the 372 years since, many significant records have been lost – a common problem for early Virginia (and the South in general) – destroyed over time by floods, fires and war. While this reality greatly challenged the research project, Ancestry.com genealogists were able to make the connection, starting with Obama’s family tree.

President Obama is traditionally viewed as an African-American because of his father’s heritage in Kenya. However, while researching his Caucasian mother, Stanley Ann Dunham’s lineage, Ancestry.com genealogists found her to have African heritage as well, which piqued the researchers’ interest and inspired further digging into Obama’s African-American roots. In tracing the family back from Obama’s mother, Ancestry.com used DNA analysis to learn that her ancestors, known as white landowners in Colonial Virginia, actually descended from an African man. Existing records suggest that this man, John Punch, had children with a white woman who then passed her free status on to their offspring. Punch’s descendants went on to be free, successful land owners in a Virginia entrenched in slavery.

An expert in Southern research and past president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, Elizabeth Shown Mills, performed a third-party review of the research and documentation to verify the findings.

“In reviewing Ancestry.com’s conclusions, I weighed not only the actual findings but also Virginia’s laws and social attitudes when John Punch was living,” said Mills. “A careful consideration of the evidence convinces me that the Y-DNA evidence of African origin is indisputable, and the surviving paper trail points solely to John Punch as the logical candidate. Genealogical research on individuals who lived hundreds of years ago can never definitively prove that one man fathered another, but this research meets the highest standards and can be offered with confidence.”

“Two of the most historically significant African Americans in the history of our country are amazingly directly related,” said Ancestry.com genealogist Joseph Shumway. “John Punch was more than likely the genesis of legalized slavery in America. But after centuries of suffering, the Civil War, and decades of civil rights efforts, his 11th great-grandson became the leader of the free world and the ultimate realization of the American Dream.”

More details and supporting information on this discovery and additional research on President Obama’s family lineage can be found at www.ancestry.com/obama.

 

[soul creator]

full circle

#poetry

 

[Count Dookkake]

That's quite a climb.

 

[Derrick01]

John Punch is an awesome name.

 

[Angry Grimace]

This is pretty interesting. I wonder if I'm related to anyone interesting.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

That's amazing.

 

[SmokyDave]

That is fucking crazy. What on earth were the chances?

 

[marrec]

I understand the symbolism of this, but going back that far it's no surprise really.

 

[ggnoobIGN]

That is fucking crazy. What on earth were the chances?

Pretty decent I think? I mean going back that far...

 

[GK86]

The people's man. Also, John Punch is an awesome fucking name. I think I will name my son that.

 

[SoulPlaya]

You know, when you go that level of relations, isn't most everyone in the US who has been here for a while related to each other in some way.

 

[ClovingWestbrook]

I understand the symbolism of this, but going back that far it's no surprise really.

Not really. It could've easily have been the 5th, 10th, 100th documented slave.

 

[Bread]

Thomas mutha fuckin Jefferson!

 

[Bisnic]

his 11th great-grandson became the leader of the free world

Is that what we call the US president these days? The leader of the free world? :lol

 

[SmokyDave]

Pretty decent I think? I mean going back that far...

372 years is not a long time. Besides, there was only ever one 'first documented slave', whenever it happened.

 

[Curtisaur]

Illuminati did it.

 

[SouthernDragon]

Just as planned.

 

[sonicfan]

So, Obama's "white" side is descended from slaves, and his "black" side is descended from slave traders....interesting.

Will this news quiet the complaints that he was never "down with the struggle" of true black Americans who were the decedents of slaves?

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

I wonder if the fine folks at Ancestry then secretly baptized all those people.

 

[Fox Mulder]

That is fucking crazy. What on earth were the chances?

ancestry.com shows that everybody is related. I remember reading how they found that Obama is related to Bush, Palin, and Limbaugh.

 

[ClovingWestbrook]

Is that what we call the US president these days? The leader of the free world? :lol

That is what the U.S. President has been called for quite some time.

 

[Count Dookkake]

The chance of this occurring are pretty high, when you consider the breeding of slaves.

John Punch was the first and so his genetic legacy is almost guaranteed to be huge.

 

[Espresso]

ancestry.com shows that everybody is related. I remember reading how they found that Obama is related to Bush, Palin, and Limbaugh.

Exactly. We're all offspring of Adam and Eve.

 

[TacticalFox88]

lol, I wonder how many whites in America have black heritages, way back?

Oh god, the irony is fucking delicious!

 

[SmokyDave]

ancestry.com shows that everybody is related. I remember reading how they found that Obama is related to Bush, Palin, and Limbaugh.

Y'know, one fine day I'll look into sources with the kind of scrutiny I only reserve for tits.

The chance of this occurring are pretty high, when you consider the breeding of slaves.

John Punch was the first and so his genetic legacy is almost guaranteed to be huge.

Seems mental to me but I'm no statistician.

 

[jon bones]

this is some beautiful circumstance, let me tell ya

Is that what we call the US president these days? The leader of the free world? :lol

that's what we Americans call our leader, yea

 

[HerbertFish]

372 years is not a long time. Besides, there was only ever one 'first documented slave', whenever it happened.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/was...elated-to-sarah-palin-rush-limbaugh-bush.html

Either the illuminati are real or everyone is related.

 

[marrec]

372 years is not a long time. Besides, there was only ever one 'first documented slave', whenever it happened.

I think that if you trace back through all those generations the chances of somewhere someone in your family being somehow related to Mr. John Punch is pretty damn decent.

The same for the guy who owned Mr. John Punch, Obama may be related to him.

And to the guy who captained the boat that brought Mr. John Punch over.

 

[TheAtomicPile]

I can already hear conservatives saying, "Oh, so are we supposed to feel bad for him now?" Obama promotes white guilt!"

 

[kswiston]

lol, I wonder how many whites in America have black heritages, way back?

Oh god, the irony is fucking delicious!

I would imagine that basically everyone except more recent immigrant families have black and Native American ancestry somewhere in their family heritage (well recent ancestory. If you go back 100-200k years, everyone's ancestors were black).

 

[Bolt Vanderhuge]

Whatever, where's the LONG FORM document of ownership?

Also, if John Punch's kids were rich land owners did that mean they owned slaves? I can already see the Fox News spin 'Obama's ancestors slave owners!'

 

[Omegasquash]

I can already hear conservatives saying, "Oh, so are we supposed to feel bad for him now?" Obama promotes white guilt!"

Actually I can hear the conservatives finding out if Ancestry can relate Mitt Romney to him as well. This is wonderful symbolism, however the chances of them being related are not astronomically low.

 

[neptunes]

Surprised that it came from his mother's side.

I wonder how many other Caucasian Americans have African American

 

[EmCeeGramr]

"And now, it's time for payback," chuckles Obama. He unravels a piece of paper: his real birth certificate, bearing the name Hussein Obama Punch.

He presses a button on the underside of his desk. At the command, doctors across America bound by Obamacare are forced to place shackles on the ankles of white people nationwide.

"Phase Two is complete."

 

[Count Dookkake]

Surprised that it came from his mother's side.

I wonder how many other Caucasian Americans have African American

I don't think slavery is allowed anymore.

 

[marrec]

Actually I can hear the conservatives finding out if Ancestry can relate Mitt Romney to him as well. This is wonderful symbolism, however the chances of them being related are not astronomically low.

I wonder if Mormon genealogy was terribly affected by their migration west? Like, if you're a Mormon you have some kind of slight genetic bottle-neck because of that?

 

[Steelrain]

Surprised that it came from his mother's side.

I wonder how many other Caucasian Americans have African American

I don't think slavery is allowed anymore.

lol

 

[massoluk]

That is fucking crazy. What on earth were the chances?

Well, they go pretty far. It's also very likely that I'm a descendant of Genghis Khan.

 

[jerry1594]

Exactly. We're all offspring of Adam and Eve.

If you want to go there, scientists have found all of the human race to be descended from a single man and woman from distinct times.

 

[Cipherr]

Exactly. We're all offspring of Adam and Eve.

 

[SUPREME1]

John Punch


Obama Smash

 

[Palette Swap]

So, does this mean he's American?

 

[Omegasquash]

I wonder if Mormon genealogy was terribly affected by their migration west? Like, if you're a Mormon you have some kind of slight genetic bottle-neck because of that?

That's a good point. Given that, I'll put my vote in for "Mitt Romney is related to slaves too, we all are, what's the big deal?" as an O'Reilly Factor installment.

 

[TheAtomicPile]

"And now, it's time for payback," chuckles Obama. He unravels a piece of paper: his real birth certificate, bearing the name Hussein Obama Punch.

He presses a button on the underside of his desk. At the command, doctors across America bound by Obamacare are forced to place shackles on the ankles of white people nationwide.

"Phase Two is complete."

The Fox News hysteria would reach levels we have yet to imagine.

I'm sure they're prepping the talking points now.

 

[titiklabingapat]

If you go back far enough, someone somewhere is related to somebody notable. I won't be surprised of I'm somehow related to Genghis Khan, tbh.

 

[Pandaman]

This is pretty interesting. I wonder if I'm related to anyone interesting.

pick someone interesting from your ethnicity 300+ years ago.

you're probably related to him or her.

 

[SmokyDave]

Well, they go pretty far. It's also very likely that I'm a descendant of Genghis Khan.

Genghis banged like a barn door in a gale and died a lot longer ago. Also, you're not a president (I assume!).

Doesn't matter if Ancestry.com have a history of linking everyone to everyone though.

(I'm aware of how daft that last sentence sounds when you look at the BIG picture).

 

[El Sloth]

This is some pretty fantastic advertising for Ancestory.com.

 

[Al-ibn Kermit]

The chance of this occurring are pretty high, when you consider the breeding of slaves.

John Punch was the first and so his genetic legacy is almost guaranteed to be huge.

But still, a slave had sex with a white woman. That's the most surprising part of this.

 

[marrec]

If you go back far enough, someone somewhere is related to somebody notable. I won't be surprised of I'm somehow related to Genghis Khan, tbh.

To be fair, Genghis Khan goes back a bit farther than Mr. Punch and basically raped every woman he came across.