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Website Confirms Pocahontas and President Bush Are Related
   Relationship Highlights New Understanding of Pocahontas on the Eve of
                       Jamestown's 400th Anniversary

    WILLIAMSBURG, Va., May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- As America commemorates
Jamestown's 400th anniversary, genealogical detectives at Ancestry.com, the
world's largest online resource for family history, today unveiled key
documentation which proves that Pocahontas and President George W. Bush are
related. The families are linked by the marriage of President Bush's eighth
great-grandfather, Robert Bolling, to Jane Rolfe, Bolling's first wife and
Pocahontas' granddaughter.

    President Bush is not a direct descendant of Pocahontas, but rather a
descendant of Bolling and his second wife, Ann Meriwether Stith. In
addition, Bush's eighth great-aunt, Mary Kennon, married John Rolfe, who is
believed to be Pocahontas' great-grandson. These connections make President
Bush directly related to many -- if not all -- the descendants of
Pocahontas. The Bush-Pocahontas family tree is accessible at
http://www.ancestry.com/jamestown.
    "On the eve of Jamestown's 400th anniversary, the President's link to
Pocahontas is a perfect example of the unexpected and unbelievable stories
that are waiting to be discovered in our family trees," said Megan
Smolenyak, Chief Family Historian for Ancestry.com. "We wanted to confirm
the claim of a possible Pocahontas-Bush family connection, and the research
concretely provides the link."
    The confirmation comes as the nation is learning about the real
Pocahontas, who, contrary to legend, was more focused on diplomatic goals
than romantic interests. New research by scholars such as Camilla Townsend
of Rutgers University, author of Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma,
illustrates how Pocahontas worked for peace between Virginia Indians and
the English in order to ensure the survival of her people. "There is every
reason to believe she was a strategist, not a giddy, love struck girl.
Despite the stories, there is absolutely no evidence that she ever loved
John Smith, John Rolfe or any of the English more than she loved her own
people," said Townsend.
    The news also highlights the roles of Virginia's eight state-recognized
tribes in the commemoration. The tribes are using the 400th anniversary an
opportunity to generate a more realistic understanding of their culture and
their role in the nation's history.
    "Many Americans have family ties to Jamestown but do not realize it,"
Smolenyak said. "Jamestown was in many respects the nation's first 'Ellis
Island,' a point of entry not only for Europeans but also for Africans. The
commemoration of America's 400th Anniversary is prompting many people to
discover their families' role in the nation's earliest days."

    Ancestry.com will have a presence at America's Anniversary Weekend, May
11-13 at the Jamestown sites. On-site researchers will help visitors
explore their family trees with free computer access to Ancestry.com as
well as provide them with family history research tips and techniques.
Ancestry.com allows visitors to the website to build an online family tree,
upload photos and stories and invite family members to participate -- all
for free.
    Single-day, date-specific tickets to Anniversary Weekend provide
visitors with access to the entertainment and programming at Historic
Jamestowne, Jamestown Settlement and Anniversary Park. Guests may purchase
tickets at $30 for adult and $15 for children 6-12. Children younger than
six-years-old receive free admission. Tickets are being limited to 30,000
per day to ensure guests enjoy a comfortable visit.
    Anniversary Weekend tickets and accommodations are available through
Colonial Williamsburg, the official hotels of the commemoration, and may be
reserved by phone at (866) 400-1607 or through
http://www.Americas400thAnniversary.com. The call center is open Monday through
Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Callers outside of regular operating hours will be prompted to leave a
message, which will be returned the next day.
    About Ancestry.com: With 24,000 searchable databases and titles,
Ancestry.com is the No. 1 online source for family history information.
Since its launch in 1997, Ancestry.com has been the premier resource for
family history, simplifying genealogical research for millions of people by
providing them with many easy-to-use tools and resources to build their own
unique family trees. Ancestry.com is part of The Generations Network, Inc.,
a leading network of family-focused interactive properties, including
MyFamily.com, Rootsweb.com, Genealogy.com and Family Tree Maker. In total,
The Generations Network properties receive 10.4 million unique visitors
worldwide and over 450 million page views a month ((C) comScore Media
Metrix, March, 2007).
    Jamestown 2007, a sub-agency of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, is
coordinating efforts to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown,
Va., the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The nation's
first representative government, free enterprise system and culturally
diverse society began at Jamestown. State, national, and international
commemorative events to salute these legacies began in May 2006 and
continue into 2008. Major corporate sponsors of America's 400th Anniversary
include Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC), Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Other supporters include
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. (NYSE: BUD), AirTran Airways (NYSE: AAI),
Consol Energy and CNX Gas Corporation, Dominion, James City County,
Lockheed-Martin, McGuireWood LLP, Philip Morris USA, SunTrust, TowneBank
and Wolseley PLC/Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. Contributors include the City
of Poquoson and Rutherfoord Insurance. More information about the
commemoration is available at http://www.Americas400thAnniversary.com.
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