While I believe it's possible Songwronger is just a teeny bit obsessed with Obama, his reference was the Huffington post.

Doesn't really mean anything, but it's interesting. That's the main thing my mom cared about when she did genealogical research: the stories about ancestors. One guy enlisted in the Continental Army when he was 91 years old, fought in the revolution, and applied for a pension some time after that.

Having a guy in my family tree who'd escaped from indentured servitude and been sentenced to "servitude for life" in 1640, well over a century before the USA was the USA would be quite the story. Most of us can't do such a detailed search, but imagine if the New York Times could delve into your history!