Which American Founder are you most closely connected to?

Question

With the upcoming Independence Day holiday in the US, we're looking at some of the men and women who were instrumental in the founding of the nation in the Connection Finder this week. We start with Benjamin Franklin.

Here are other patriots to check your connection to:

• Abigail Adams, first lady and activist
• Ethan Allen, politician and war hero
• London Atus, war hero
• Josiah Bartlett, signer of the Declaration of Independence and New Hampshire governor
• Nathanael Greene, war hero
• Patrick Henry, delegate to the Continental Congresses and governor of Virginia
• Thomas Jefferson, US President and primary author of the Declaration of Independence
• Edmund Pendleton, delegate to First Continental Congress
• Deborah Sampson, war hero
• Roger Sherman, only Founding Father to have signed all four major revolutionary documents

Which one of these founders is closest to you on our single family tree? If you're one of the 29.8 million of us who are connected to each other on our big tree, you can check with the Connection Finder.

In addition to the above and our many Featured Connections, you can check your connections to any category on WikiTree, such as American Founding Fathers and Signers of the United States Constitution. Click the green MyConnections button in the upper right hand corner of the category page.

Let us know how you're related below. If you want to share your connection on social media with cousins and friends, click the "get shareable image" below the results, e.g. JRR Tolkien and Benjamin Franklin. Then just upload it along with the URL of your direct connection. (Please refrain from sharing your connection on the featured profiles themselves, though. It clutters conversations on research and collaboration. Thanks!)

Help us find and improve the profiles for next week's Notable Kentuckians feature.

Comments

11 degrees from Ben Franklin
11 degrees from Nathanael Greene
12 degrees from Edmund Pendleton
14 degrees from Ethan Allen
14 degrees from Patrick Henry
14 degrees from Roger Sherman
15 degrees from Josiah Bartlett
15 degrees from Thomas Jefferson
15 degrees from Deborah Gannett
17 degrees from London Atus
17 degrees from Sharon Haynes

The joys of ancestors from New England, and Rhode Island, in particular.

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I do believe [[Mason-2505|George Mason IV]] has been left off the Founding Fathers list. That will never do!  For one thing he co-authored the Bill of Rights. True he pitched a fit and went home before signing the Constitution he helped write - truly an American thing to do - because the other FF's wouldn't agree to stop importing slaves - but he is still a Founding Father. And he is my 8th great-granddaddy! Bless him. 

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In time for the next July 4th (the one after the up coming), George Mason is most definitely deserving of note!

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Hello!  He is also a relative: 12C, 5x removed.  Our CA is Robert (Cralle) de Cralle (my 16th GGF).

Answer 1

I'm closer to Deborah Sampson, who is a 5th cousin, 6 times removed. Then:Abigail Adam -10th  cousin, 7 times removed.Roger Sherman 10th cousin-9 times removed. Thomas Jefferson- 11th cousin 4 times removed.

Answer 2

Benjamin Franklin is 12 degrees; he's my double first cousin 9 times removed. His grandmother is my 9GG on two lines.

Answer 3

Ben Franklin is my 5th cousin eight times removed

Answer 4

•  14 degrees from Ben Franklin
• 12 degrees from Ethan Allen
• 15 degrees from London Atus
• 13 degrees from Josiah Bartlett
• 14 degrees from Nathanael Greene 3rd C 7xr
• 13 degrees from Patrick Henry
• 11 degrees from Thomas Jefferson 10th C 7xr
• 12 degrees from Edmund Pendleton 12th C 7xr
• 12 degrees from Deborah Gannett 12th C 5xr
• 14 degrees from Roger Sherman 10th C 8xr
• 14 degrees from Abigail Smith 11th C 6xr

Answer 5

Closest is 12 degrees from Edmund Pendleton

And the connection is one that doesn't run through any iffy folks in my tree :D

Answer 6

I was raised knowing that I'm related to Gen. Nathanael Greeene. We are 2nd cousins 7 times removed. I even have a cousin named Nathanael after Gen. Greene.

Comments

Gen Greene is my 5th great-uncle.

Answer 7

14  degrees  Edmand Pendleton  

16 Ethan Allen

18 Abigail Adams

19 Lonon  Atus

17 Josiah Bartlett

15  Patrick Henry

14 Thomas Jefferson 

19  Doborah Sampson

19 Roger Sherman

Answer 8

I thought it was strange, being from the UK rather than the US, I was under 20 degrees to all the founders, but of the 1966 England World Cup Final team, only one was within 30 degrees.  But if you think about it the Founders have been researched to death for generations and every possible connection to them uncovered.  And you only have to go 4 or 5 steps before I connect to multiple Americans.  Meanwhile I've been researching most of the England team myself and stopping for each one at the first valid connecting path, usually a long and winding one.

Answer 9

13 degrees from Thomas Jefferson
14 degrees from Ethan Allen
14 degrees from Patrick Henry

Answer 10

My closest connection is Thomas Jefferson at 12 degrees.  He is my  9th cousin  6 times removed.  

My closest relative is Nathaniel Greene who is my 4th cousin, 8 times removed.

Answer 11

10 degrees     Patrick Henry                  1 branch (11) 7th g-grand uncle

14 degrees      Edmund Pendleton         2 branches (6-9) 12th cousin 11x removed

15 degrees      Benjamin Franklin           3 branches (9-3-4)  

15 degrees      Thomas Jefferson           3 branches (4-6-6) 12th cousin 9x removed

16 degrees      Abigail Adams                 2 branches (14-3) 12th cousin 7x removed

16 degrees      Deborah Sampson         4 branches (2-1-10-4) 13th cousin 8x removed

16 degrees      Ethan Allen                     4 branches (1-3-6-7)

17 degrees      Josiah Bartlett                3 branches (6-6-6)

17 degrees      Nathanael Greene          4 branches (7-2-5-4)

17 degrees      Roger Sherman              4 branches (2-3-9-4)

18 degrees      London Atus                   4 branches (1-2-10-6)

Answer 12

11 degrees from Patrick Henry

12 degrees from Edmund Pendleton

13 degrees from Thomas Jefferson  5C8R

14 Degrees from National Greene

15 Degrees from Abigail Smith

16 Degrees from Debra Sampson

17 Degrees from Roger Sherman

17 Degrees from Josiah Bartlett

17 Degrees from Ethan Allen

18 Degrees from London Atus

Answer 13

12 degrees from Ben Franklin       5C 9x removed
14 degrees from Ethan Allen        3C 8x removed
16 degrees from London Atus        (no relation)
14 degrees from Josiah Bartlett    3C 7x removed
8 degrees from Nathanael Greene    5th great uncle
14 degrees from Patrick Henry      (no relation)
14 degrees from Thomas Jefferson   8C 7x removed
14 degrees from Edmund Pendleton   11C 9x removed
15 degrees from Deborah Gannett    4C 8x removed
13 degrees from Roger Sherman      4C 8x removed
18 degrees from Sharon Haynes      10C

Answer 14

I am most closely connected to Edmund Pendleton, at 9 degrees. He is also my 6th great-grand uncle. His sister, Mary Pendleton Gaines, was my 6th great-grandmother.

Comments

Edmund Pendleton is my 6th great grand uncle, twice, or on both sides of my family, as it turns out my parents, unbeknownst to them, were 8th cousins. I also descend from Mary Pendleton Gaines, and on the other side of my family, her sister in law, Elizabeth Coleman Pendleton, wife of James Pendleton. It's a kind of distant relation though, so distant, the 'were your parents cousins' tool at GedMatch couldn't detect it.

On a related but interesting note, another brother of Edmund Pendleton, Nathaniel Pendleton, he had a son, Nathaniel Pendleton, who, on top of serving as a second for Alexander Hamilton in the duel between Hamilton and Burr, served in the revolution as aide de camp to Gen. Nathaniel Greene, one of the "founding fathers" on the list. His son and namesake, Nathaniel Greene Pendleton, was aide de camp to Gen. Edmund Pendleton Gaines (Hm, where have I heard that name before?) during the War of 1812,.

Answer 15

Abraham Clark (1726-1794) is my 3rd cousin, 8 times removed.

Thomas Heyward Jr. (1746-1809) is my 5th cousin, 7 times removed.

George Mason IV (1725-1792) is my 6th cousin, 8 times removed.

Peyton Randolph (1721-1775) is my 7th cousin, 7 times removed.

Edmund Jennings Randolph (1753-1812) is my 8th cousin, 6 times removed.

Lyman Hall (1724-1790) is my 8th cousin, 9 times removed.

Caleb Strong (1744-1819) is my 9th cousin, 8 times removed.

Answer 16

• 16 degrees from Ben Franklin
• 13 degrees from Ethan Allen
• 17 degrees from London Atus
• 15 degrees from Josiah Bartlett  3 cousin 8x
• 14 degrees from Nathanael Greene  3rd cousin 8x
• 12 degrees from Patrick Henry
• 12 degrees from Thomas Jefferson  10 cousin  8x
• 12 degrees from Edmund Pendleton  12 cousin 8x
• 14 degrees from Deborah Gannett  12 cousin 5x
• 15 degrees from Roger Sherman  5 cousin 7x
• 16 degrees from Sharon Haynes 10 cousin 1x

Answer 17

I'm pretty close to all on the list, mostly 12 - 14 degrees and 8 are close cousins, mostly on my father's side. About 80% of his immigrant ancestors were here by 1650. About 90% of all of my immigrant ancestors were here by 1700 and all were here by 1756. So far, I've identified 51 ancestors who served under arms or patriotically in the Revolutionary War.

13 degrees from Ben Franklin

12 degrees from Ethan Allen

15 degrees from London Atus

14 degrees from Josiah Bartlett

14 degrees from Nathanael Greene

13 degrees from Patrick Henry

12 degrees from Thomas Jefferson

12 degrees from Edmund Pendleton

13 degrees from Deborah Gannett

12 degrees from Roger Sherman

17 degrees from Sharon Haynes

13 degrees from Abigail Adams

12 degrees from Ethan Allen

15 degrees from London Atus

14 degrees from Josiah Bartlett

14 degrees from Nathaniel Greene

13 degrees from Patrick Henry

12 degrees from Thomas Jefferson

12 degrees from Edmund Pendleton

13 degrees from Deborah Sampson

12 degrees from Roger Sherman

Cousins

Martha Dandridge Washington – 1^st cousin, 6x removed

Noah Webster – 1st cousin, 6x removed

Nathaniel Greene – 2^nd cousin, 9x removed

Deborah Gannett 2^nd cousin, 7x removed

Abigail Smith Adams – 3^rd cousin, 6x removed

Thomas Jefferson – 3^rd cousin, 6x removed

Deborah Sampson – 3^rd cousin, 7x removed

George Washington – 4^th cousin, 7x removed

Ben Franklin – 5^th cousin,7x removed

Roger Sherman – 9^th cousin, 9x removed

Edmund Pendleton 10^th cousin, 4x removed

Signers of the Declaration of Independence

Thomas Lynch III – 1^st cousin, 7x removed

Stephen Hopkins – 1^st cousin, 7x removed

Robert Treat Paine – 2^nd cousin, 8x removed

Samuel Adams – 3^rd cousin, 8x removed

William Whipple – 3^rd cousin, 7x removed

Thomas Neslon Jr – 4^th cousin, 8x removed

John Hancock III – 4^th cousin, 6x removed

Ben Franklin – 5^th cousin,7x removed

Answer 18

Patrick Henry-11 Degrees

Edmund Pendleton -11 Degrees

Thomas Jefferson-12 Degrees

Answer 19

My closest are: 

Edmund Pendleton - 15th cousins 10 times removed

Thomas Jefferson -  17th cousins 8 times removed

Abigail Adams - 17th cousins 8 times removed

Deborah Gannett - 18th cousins 8 times removed

Josiah Bartlett - 14 degrees

Ben Franklin - 15 degrees

London Atus - 15 degrees

Answer 20

Nathanael Greene is a 3rd cousin (8x removed - and the same level different ways) - although Christopher Greene is a 2nd cousin - 8x removed, 3rd cousin 8x removed another way - and am showing his wife was also a 2nd cousin 8x removed as well.  Langdons (3rd cousin 8x removed as well) are also 3rd cousins. (The other NH signer of the Constitution was a 4th cousin   -Nicholas Gilman  4th cousin  7x removed).

Joseph Warren was a 4th (naturally so was his brother, a prominent doctor).  Pretty sure that is through the Parke line -but not going to look at the moment. 4th cousin 7x removed- and a bit further out a couple of other ways (at a minimum -but I didn't really even bother trying all sorts of different paths.

David Cobb (not as well known), 1st cousin 8x removed, as is Joab Stafford (probably unknown outside of western Mass, or even RI) -but he was at Bennington. Also not (as far as I know) a relative of Audrey Barlow (despite her gateway thing that runs through a line of Humphrey Staffords eventually).

Others too.

Those Greene's (specifically the John the Surgeon line) and a connection to Audrey Almy (nee Barlow), basically means there is a Tillinghast involved (a specific one) ...  nothing like names like that to find solid connections to - to serve as guard-rails in working tress (and there are several).

Let's see- 4th cousin to the famous traitor, 4th cousin or closer to at least 4 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Robert Treat Paine being married to a 1st cousin as well.

Samuel Ward Sr half 2nd cousin - 8x removed.  And also showing as a 2nd cousin 8x removed to Ward's wife Anna Ray.

Son is showing as 3rd cousin 8x removed (Samuel Ward Jr) -from his mother's side.

Having a fair few New England roots that came over in the Great Puritan Migration has had its (documentary) benefits. I suppose the irony is - am also related to the other John Greene family of RI (of Quidnesset - albeit after the War of Independence ended - have to get into the db- it was I think between 1800-1810. (Abel Green also spelled Greene interchangeably in records.).

-I'm sure there's more- and I haven't actually worked out the 'degrees' angle - will have to look up the removed numbers.