Roots

In the river region of The Gambia in 1750, Omoro Kinte and his wife, Binta, give birth to a son, Kunta. Kunta is kidnapped in 1767 and sold to British slave traders. After arriving in Maryland, Virginia planter John Waller purchases Kunta.

George becomes an accomplished trainer of gamecocks and earns the nickname of Chicken George. George marries Matilda, a preachers daughter, and fathers many children. Tom Lea loses a wager with an Englishman and sells George to save his farm.