Politics and Family Relations

My on-going research into the life of Rev. Gideon Blackburn has taken me to Georgia Governor George Matthews, whose daughter Ann was married to Gideon's uncle General Samuel Blackburn. Interestingly enough, the good Governor was a key player in the Yazoo Act. An underhanded land deal that eventually caused the forced western migration of the Cherokee Indians.

This may be good news for the redemption of the Blackburn clan due to the fact that Gideon's uncle General Samuel Blackburn was opposed to the Yazoo Act and left his political post in Georgia as a result.

Was the boat load of whiskey a set-up for the purpose of creating trouble with the Creek Indians and the Cherokees, thus beginnings of the War of 1812, making Gideon a political pawn?

Now through my current research project on Rev. Gideon Blackburn, I am finding more surprising political relationships of the Blackburn family. So far, I have found at least 5 members of the Blackburn line that have been related, by marriage, to a President of the United State within three generations. Not to mention all the other political officers such as Governor, Senator, etc.

Blackburn-Presidential marriage connections I have found thus far:

1. President George Washington's nephew Bushrod Washington married Julie Ann Blackburn
2. President James Madison's great/grand uncle Zachary Taylor(1)married Esther Jones Blackburn Taylor
3. President William Henry Harrison's 1st cousin once removed Hannah Churchill m. John Blackburn
4. President Benjamin Harrison, grand son of William Henry Harrison, 1st cousin three times removed to Hannah Churchill m. John Blackburn. Benjamin was also brother-in-law to Speaker of the House of Burgesses, Peyton Randolph, who was 1st cousin once removed of Thomas Jefferson. His Brother-in-law Burwell Bassett was married to the sister of Martha Washington, whose nephew Bushrod was married to Julie Ann Blackburn.
5. President Zacary Taylor's grandfather married second wife Esther Jones Blackburn. Zachary Taylor and James Madison were 2nd cousins.

Is your brain dizzy yet?

Have you ever wondered what the statistical probabilities of two members of the same family being elected for President of the United States in a democratic elections system? I know I have. For example:

John Adams father of John Quincy Adams
William Henry Harrison grandfather of Benjamin Harrison
Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt 5th cousins
Robert Kennedy (almost President) and John F Kennedy brothers
George Bush Sr father of George Bush Jr

Really, what are the odds?

I would bet, that with enough time and research, I could connect all of the Presidents, not to mention the big religious leaders of our country, for example click here for the connections of Rev. Pat Robertson.

This is certainly more than aristocratic nepotism.

Based on my findings, it seems the United States is not a democracy, as we are lead to believe, but instead it is a oligarchy, which in turn creates a plutocracy. Perhaps what we really need is a demarchy.

I wonder how the current President Barack Obama fits in?