Explore the U.S. Elite’s Ties to Slavery
Reuters found that 118 of America’s most influential leaders have a slaveholding ancestor. Explore information about their forebears and the people they enslaved.
June 27, 2023, 10 a.m. GMT
Senators
Marsha Blackburn
U.S. Senator from Tennessee
Direct ancestor: Benjamin F. Ulmer
Number of enslaved: 4
Generations removed: 5
Roy Blunt
Former U.S. Senator from Missouri
Direct ancestor: Thomas C. Alexander
Number of enslaved: 1
Generations removed: 5
John Boozman
U.S. Senator from Arkansas
Direct ancestor: Micajah Goolsby
Number of enslaved: 2
Generations removed: 6
Richard Burr
Former U.S. Senator from North Carolina
Direct ancestor: William B. Yancey
Number of enslaved: 14
Generations removed: 4
Shelley Moore Capito
U.S. Senator from West Virginia
Direct ancestor: Jacob L. Riley
Number of enslaved: 5
Generations removed: 4
Tom Carper
U.S. Senator from Delaware
Direct ancestor: Hardin Shumate
Number of enslaved: 1
Generations removed: 5
John Cornyn
U.S. Senator from Texas
Direct ancestor: Nathaniel C. Townsend
Number of enslaved: 2
Generations removed: 5
Tom Cotton
U.S. Senator from Arkansas
Direct ancestor: John Cowger
Number of enslaved: 6
Generations removed: 5
Bill Hagerty
U.S. Senator from Tennessee
Direct ancestor: Robert Dwiggins
Number of enslaved: 23
Generations removed: 4
Maggie Hassan
U.S. Senator from New Hampshire
Direct ancestor: Johnathon Wood
Number of enslaved: 13
Generations removed: 4
Angus King
U.S. Senator from Maine
Direct ancestor: David Watkins
Number of enslaved: 9
Generations removed: 4
James Lankford
U.S. Senator from Oklahoma
Direct ancestor: Edmond Dillehay
Number of enslaved: 3
Generations removed: 8
Mitch McConnell
U.S. Senator from Kentucky
Direct ancestor: Joseph Farrington
Number of enslaved: 12
Generations removed: 4
Gary Peters
U.S. Senator from Michigan
Direct ancestor: Richard H. Garrett
Number of enslaved: 22
Generations removed: 4
Cindy Hyde-Smith
U.S. Senator from Mississippi
Direct ancestor: Allison C. Brister
Number of enslaved: 13
Generations removed: 5
Debbie Stabenow
U.S. Senator from Michigan
Direct ancestor: James H. Kidd
Number of enslaved: 3
Generations removed: 5
Thom Tillis
U.S. Senator from North Carolina
Direct ancestor: Richard Tillis
Number of enslaved: 8
Generations removed: 4
Tommy Tuberville
U.S. Senator from Alabama
Direct ancestor: Valentine E. Brazil
Number of enslaved: 6
Generations removed: 5
Roger Wicker
U.S. Senator from Mississippi
Direct ancestor: James H. Miller
Number of enslaved: 9
Generations removed: 5
Representatives
Robert Aderholt
U.S. Representative from Alabama
Direct ancestor: James F. Stone
Number of enslaved: 5
Generations removed: 5
Rick W. Allen
U.S. Representative from Georgia
Direct ancestor: Juriah Harriss
Number of enslaved: 133
Generations removed: 5
Jodey Arrington
U.S. Representative from Texas
Direct ancestor: Hansel Dickens
Number of enslaved: 5
Generations removed: 5
Brian Babin
U.S. Representative from Texas
Direct ancestor: Francois R. Alpuente
Number of enslaved: 4
Generations removed: 5
Jim Banks
U.S. Representative from Indiana
Direct ancestor: William Strong
Number of enslaved: 7
Generations removed: 7
Andy Barr
U.S. Representative from Kentucky
Direct ancestor: Joseph B. Jackson
Number of enslaved: 2
Generations removed: 5
Andy Biggs
U.S. Representative from Arizona
Direct ancestor: Robert Mosely
Number of enslaved: 44
Generations removed: 5
Dan Bishop
U.S. Representative from North Carolina
Direct ancestor: George Wyrick
Number of enslaved: 5
Generations removed: 5
Carolyn Bourdeaux
Former U.S. Representative from Georgia
Direct ancestor: Henry H. Jordan
Number of enslaved: 6
Generations removed: 5
Mo Brooks
Former U.S. Representative from Alabama
Direct ancestor: Thomas Ferguson
Number of enslaved: 1
Generations removed: 5
Julia Brownley
U.S. Representative from California
Direct ancestor: Jesse Brownly
Number of enslaved: 3
Generations removed: 4
Tim Burchett
U.S. Representative from Tennessee
Direct ancestor: Felix W. Harper
Number of enslaved: 1
Generations removed: 5
Ken Calvert
U.S. Representative from California
Direct ancestor: Alexander Beckerdite
Number of enslaved: 1
Generations removed: 5
Buddy Carter
U.S. Representative from Georgia
Direct ancestor: Benjamin L. Newton
Number of enslaved: 11
Generations removed: 5
Steve Chabot
Former U.S. Representative from Ohio
Direct ancestor: William Tilley
Number of enslaved: 4
Generations removed: 5
Liz Cheney
Former U.S. Representative from Wyoming
Direct ancestor: Thomas H. McGaugh
Number of enslaved: 8
Generations removed: 6
Ben Cline
U.S. Representative from Virginia
Direct ancestor: Alexander Gray
Number of enslaved: 10
Generations removed: 6
James Comer
U.S. Representative from Kentucky
Direct ancestor: James McAfee
Number of enslaved: 21
Generations removed: 5
Jim Cooper
Former U.S. Representative from Tennessee
Direct ancestor: Daniel F. Cocke
Number of enslaved: 44
Generations removed: 4
Lloyd Doggett
U.S. Representative from Texas
Direct ancestor: Miller Doggett
Number of enslaved: 3
Generations removed: 6
Jeff Duncan
U.S. Representative from South Carolina
Direct ancestor: John P. Gathings
Number of enslaved: 5
Generations removed: 5
Drew Ferguson
U.S. Representative from Georgia
Direct ancestor: Henry Ferguson
Number of enslaved: 49
Generations removed: 5
Lizzie Fletcher
U.S. Representative from Texas
Direct ancestor: William Pannill
Number of enslaved: 20
Generations removed: 6
Jeff Fortenberry
Former U.S. Representative from Nebraska
Direct ancestor: Christopher Wells
Number of enslaved: 19
Generations removed: 5
Lance Gooden
U.S. Representative from Texas
Direct ancestor: Isaac Carter
Number of enslaved: 3
Generations removed: 6
Kay Granger
U.S. Representative from Texas
Direct ancestor: William B. Stephens
Number of enslaved: 1
Generations removed: 4
Garret Graves
U.S. Representative from Louisiana
Direct ancestor: Edmond Patin
Number of enslaved: 4
Generations removed: 6
Sam Graves
U.S. Representative from Missouri
Direct ancestor: William T. Burrus
Number of enslaved: 27
Generations removed: 6
Morgan Griffith
U.S. Representative from Virginia
Direct ancestor: William McClanahan
Number of enslaved: 42
Generations removed: 5
Michael Guest
U.S. Representative from Mississippi
Direct ancestor: Middleton H. Berry
Number of enslaved: 4
Generations removed: 6
Jody Hice
Former U.S. Representative from Georgia
Direct ancestor: Mary Autrey
Number of enslaved: 4
Generations removed: 6
Richard Hudson
U.S. Representative from North Carolina
Direct ancestor: Garrison Tucker
Number of enslaved: 11
Generations removed: 5
Bill Johnson
U.S. Representative from Ohio
Direct ancestor: Isham McLamb Sr.
Number of enslaved: 16
Generations removed: 6
Ann Kirkpatrick
Former U.S. Representative from Arizona
Direct ancestor: William J. Kirkpatrick
Number of enslaved: 5
Generations removed: 4
Julia Letlow
U.S. Representative from Louisiana
Direct ancestor: William N. Barnhill
Number of enslaved: 2
Generations removed: 6
Tracey Mann
U.S. Representative from Kansas
Direct ancestor: William Floyd
Number of enslaved: 8
Generations removed: 5
Barry Moore
U.S. Representative from Alabama
Direct ancestor: William Thompson
Number of enslaved: 19
Generations removed: 6
Markwayne Mullin
Former U.S. Representative from Oklahoma
Direct ancestor: John Baldwin
Number of enslaved: 2
Generations removed: 5
Steven Palazzo
Former U.S. Representative from Mississippi
Direct ancestor: Austin Willis
Number of enslaved: 38
Generations removed: 5
August Pfluger
U.S. Representative from Texas
Direct ancestor: Hardamon Dunning
Number of enslaved: 18
Generations removed: 7
David Price
Former U.S. Representative from North Carolina
Direct ancestor: Daniel W. Crumley
Number of enslaved: 1
Generations removed: 4
Tom Rice
Former U.S. Representative from South Carolina
Direct ancestor: William H. Lawton
Number of enslaved: 64
Generations removed: 5
Hal Rogers
U.S. Representative from Kentucky
Direct ancestor: Aaron Barrier
Number of enslaved: 5
Generations removed: 4
David Rouzer
U.S. Representative from North Carolina
Direct ancestor: Gilbert A. Lowe
Number of enslaved: 2
Generations removed: 5
Chip Roy
U.S. Representative from Texas
Direct ancestor: Lambeth Hopkins
Number of enslaved: 15
Generations removed: 5
Austin Scott
U.S. Representative from Georgia
Direct ancestor: John S. Smoak
Number of enslaved: 11
Generations removed: 5
Pete Sessions
U.S. Representative from Texas
Direct ancestor: Richard Sessions
Number of enslaved: 96
Generations removed: 4
Adrian Smith
U.S. Representative from Nebraska
Direct ancestor: Joseph G. Chinn Sr.
Number of enslaved: 9
Generations removed: 7
Van Taylor
Former U.S. Representative from Texas
Direct ancestor: Franklin Hardin
Number of enslaved: 13
Generations removed: 5
William Timmons
U.S. Representative from South Carolina
Direct ancestor: William Timmons
Number of enslaved: 2
Generations removed: 5
Roger Williams
U.S. Representative from Texas
Direct ancestor: Hiram Rookwood
Number of enslaved: 3
Generations removed: 5
Joe Wilson
U.S. Representative from South Carolina
Direct ancestor: Stephen H. Boineau
Number of enslaved: 16
Generations removed: 4
Steve Womack
U.S. Representative from Arkansas
Direct ancestor: Butler Noles
Number of enslaved: 11
Generations removed: 6
Presidents
Joe Biden
U.S. President
Direct ancestor: Thomas H. Randle
Number of enslaved: 1
Generations removed: 5
George W. Bush
Former U.S. President
Direct ancestor: Peter G. Foree
Number of enslaved: 25
Generations removed: 6
Bill Clinton
Former U.S. President
Direct ancestor: Martin Adams
Number of enslaved: 1
Generations removed: 5
Barack Obama
Former U.S. President
Direct ancestor: George W. Overall
Number of enslaved: 2
Generations removed: 6
Supreme Court justices
Amy Coney Barrett
U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Direct ancestor: Joel J. Coney
Number of enslaved: 21
Generations removed: 6
Neil Gorsuch
U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Direct ancestor: Nicholas Gorsuch
Number of enslaved: 1
Generations removed: 5
Governors
Roy Cooper
Governor of North Carolina
Direct ancestor: Willie Cooper
Number of enslaved: 7
Generations removed: 4
John Bel Edwards
Governor of Louisiana
Direct ancestor: Daniel Edwards
Number of enslaved: 57
Generations removed: 5
Asa Hutchinson
Former governor of Arkansas
Direct ancestor: Austin W. Woodward
Number of enslaved: 42
Generations removed: 4
Brian Kemp
Governor of Georgia
Direct ancestor: John B. Lewis
Number of enslaved: 56
Generations removed: 6
Bill Lee
Governor of Tennessee
Direct ancestor: Peter Jackson
Number of enslaved: 4
Generations removed: 5
Henry McMaster
Governor of South Carolina
Direct ancestor: George H. McMaster
Number of enslaved: 4
Generations removed: 3
Michael Parson
Governor of Missouri
Direct ancestor: Thomas Etheridge
Number of enslaved: 6
Generations removed: 5
Glenn Youngkin
Governor of Virginia
Direct ancestor: John W. Quinn
Number of enslaved: 1
Generations removed: 5
SO MUCH WINNING FOR THE SLAVE OWNERS OFFSPRING