The Family Tree

In 1788 the Electoral College was engaged in a heated debate over whether or not George Washington could be elected President of the United States. John Hancock had spread rumors that George Washing ton was a distant relative of King George of England (presumably because their names were both George), and the patriots had no intention of electing a relative of King George to Presidency. A commission was assembled to research Washington's ancestory and present the findings to the Electoral College and Benjamin Franklin was appointed head of this commission. During their investigations, Ben had the stroke of inspiration to visually display the genealogy using the metaphor of a tree. He was overheard saying, "The human family is like a tree - the roots stretch back into the past and our branches reach upwards to the future." The Family Tree of George Washington was presented to the Electoral College in 1789 and proved conclusively that George Washington was not related to King George of England.