John Howland was an indentured servant that came over on the Mayflower. During an epic storm, he fell over board but managed to grab a hold of a trailing rope. The crew was able to rescue him with a boat-hook. He was one of the 41 men to sign the Mayflower Compact.

Once settled in Plymouth, he was an assistant to John Carver. Elizabeth Tilley lived at the Carter estate and history thought her to be Carter’s adopted daughter. However her parents came over on the Mayflower, but died the first winter.

After Carter and his wife died, Howland inherited the estate. And Howland married Tilley. They had 10 children that made it to adulthood and each of them had children. There were 80 grandchildren in total. It is estimated that 2 million americans have Howland as an ancestor.

Howland descendants include three presidents (both Bushes and Franklin Roosevelt), Ralph Waldo Emerson, Alec Baldwin, Sarah Palin, Joseph Smith Jr ( Founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Dr. Benjamin Spock, William Macy, Justice Robert Jackson, Humphrey Bogart, James Coughtry, Esther Allen Howland (produced the first American valentine).

Only 51 Mayflower Pilgrims had children for a total of 10 million descendants.