Presidents Who Were Related

A rundown of the major familial relations between Presidents of the United States. There have been two father-son president pairs, one grandfather-grandson pair and two cousins who shared the same surname. This video isn't an extensive look at the presidential or family history of any of these men but rather a quick collection of facts and trivia.

The earliest pair was 2nd President John Adams and his son 6th president John Quincy Adams. The older Adams was a Federalist and his son a Democratic-Republican. There was a much bigger gap between the next related pair, 9th President William Henry Harrison and his grandson 23rd President Benjamin Harrison.

Skipping to the 20th and 21st Century, George Bush served as the 41st president and his son George W. Bush as the 43rd president. Their presidential terms were only separated by a single president, Democrat Bill Clinton. W. Bush was the only member of these direct descendant pairs to actually be elected to two terms.

Theodore Roosvelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt weren't as closely related but came from the same Roosevelt family. They were fifth cousins. Teddy was a Republican and FDR was of the Democratic Party though both with of the Progressive wings of their respective parties.

Lyndon B. Johnson, Andrew Johnson (and vice president Richard Mentor Johnson) all share the same surname but have no relationship to each other. Johnson is one of the most common last names in the United States.

There were a few other possibilities of presidential families through the Tafts, Kennedys and the Lincolns. Senator Robert Taft of Ohio was the son of William Howard Taft. He ran for the Republican nomination in 1940, 1948 and 1952 but couldn't become the nominee in any case. Robert Kennedy, the brother of John F. Kennedy, ran in the Democratic Party Primaries in 1968 but like JFK he was assassinated. Abraham Lincoln's child Robert Todd Lincoln was repeatedly asked to run as the Republican candidate but he had no interest in the executive office.

In the past some brothers had connections to the presidency. Thomas Pinckney and Charles Pinckney and George Clinton and DeWitt Clinton.

If you enjoy these videos on USA history, stories from America's past or random bits of Presidential trivia then stay tuned to Resyndicated for regular uploads.

For your entertainment.

[bigdog]

If you're talking about failed possible relatives running for President, you missed a third Kennedy brother, Bush's brother, and Clinton's wife.

[syncmonism]

John Adams avoided an unnecessary war with France at the cost of his own re-election chances, because that's what was more important to him. He was also firmly against slavery long before it was trendy. I deeply admire him on these two points.

[itamar]

This channel is almost definitely the most underrated YouTube channel ever.

[nonotatalllol]

You forgot that Madison and Taylor are second cousins

[PriceDeepfakes]

I really love that you mentioned the bushes were the closest I have known it for a while but no one mentioned it I’m glad you did❤

[jeaniusedits]

James Madison and Zachary Taylor we’re second cousin’s while James K. Polk was there second cousin 1x removed

[rileydunn]

In 1848, John Quincy's son Charles Francis Adam's ran for vice president as the Free Soil Party's candidate along side Marten Van Buren. They never could have won, but still its interesting that three generations of Adams had been involved in presidential politics.

[Skip]

Suggestion:

You should do the presidents who died at 60 and under. It’s a subject I find very interesting

[alanheld]

@Resyndicated; you should do a video on the parents of the presidents

[angelcastaneda]

I find it that the commonwealth of Massachusetts had something to do with the two instances we had fathers and sons as president, John Adams and John Quincy Adams lived in Massachusetts are buried there, George H.W. Bush in his 1988 election, run again Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis and George W. Bush’s re-election in 2004, ran against Massachusetts senator John Kerry.

[maryhough]

Fun fact: Clinton is not actually Bill Clinton’s last name at birth. He was born William Jefferson Blythe III. Clinton was the last name of his stepfather Rodger Clinton, whom his mother married after Blythe died in an automobile accident!

[sethparsons]

George W Bush had experience in the military 😂😂

[SadlerStudios]

Zachery Taylor and James Madison share the same Great Grandpa, thus makes them 2nd cousins.

[IDoVoodoo]

James Monroe was 2nd cousins to Zachary Taylor, and they are both related to James Polk but once removed.

[girlsamurai]

Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt were 5th cousins.

[SlyFrye]

Whenever I had decide to look up the history of presidential elections and the electoral college maps I was always curious when I saw a Clinton like way way back. I had been pretty curious on whether George Clinton may had been an ancestor of Bill Clinton so this was cool to see in Well I guess it's interesting to find out that there is no relation. Cool to see what other presidents or other politicians who are related though

[Deacon_]

They forgot to mention one. 43rd president George W Bush is related to 14th president Franklin Pierce. Bush’s mother and former first lady Barbara Bush; her maiden name was Pierce, and is a direct descendant of the 14th president.

[MrBoyce]

Did you know that James Madison and Zachary Taylor are 2nd cousins

[joshmorton]

Surprised you didn’t mention Ted Kennedy since he got just as far as Robert as a close competitor to Carter in 1980

[rndlkb]

Dwight D. Eisenhower's grandson married Richard Nixon's daughter