It has been over 30 years since Alex Haley published his groundbreaking research.
Roots: The Saga of an American Family which was soon made into a film that riveted and shocked the viewers with a glimpse into the history of slavery.
But Alex crossed the racial barrier for most viewers of the mini-series.
Slave or Free, Black or White, we all discovered an emotional response to his discoveries.
I was once questioned by an elderly lady in the back room of my local library's genealogy center.
"Sweetie," she said.
"You are much too young to waste your days in these dusty tombs.
" But it was too late, I was hooked.
Today a new generation of younger researchers, much like I was back then have begun to discover the importance of knowing their own stories.
Many of these scavenger hunters were children in 1976 and shocked to see the truth of slavery, are spending hours online and in research libraries in an effort to uncover their own roots.
When I first began my own research, shortly after the death of a second husband in 1986, I was not able to access the records I needed from an internet connection in my home.
Research back then was still relegated to those dusty rooms.
It was almost two decades before the internet emerged as a viable research tool and digital records began to be made available.
Soon came database sites like The LDS library, Ellis Island databases, and Ancestry.
com.
Now I can do research from the comfort of my home.
I am able to view digital copies of fragile records and trace my ancestry through the years as I may never have been able to do in the past.
Having spent countless hours searching through fragile, dusty files and books, it is easy to become addicted to the convenience of the computer.
Rarely a day goes by in my busy life when I do not spend at least a few minutes with the generations that preceded me.
Now, marking over 30 years with my own research, I am able to recognize those documents and resources that allow me to continue through brick walls erected at our shores as more and more databases are released online almost daily.
The recent popularity of the NBC series, Who do you think you are, has once again sparked the interest and imagination of the American people.
As we begin to look back into the history of our ancestors and the history of this country we once again discover the determination and fortitude that created the greatest country on earth.
Whether you are just looking to learn a little about your family history, or connect your family to the documented history of our country, the opportunities to get the results you seek abound online.
In addition to the databases I mentioned above, LDS and Ellis Island, there are literally hundreds of databases available to the genealogy hobbyist.
But finding the good ones can often be a time consuming challenge.
One of the best resources you can start with is a site called Cyndi's List.
This is one of the first resources I discovered over a decade ago.
From this central resource you can discover the most valuable resources you can use to document your history.
I have watched this list grow to rival even the most commercial resources so it is a good place to start your quest.
You can find help on getting started as well as resources you can access to further your journey through time..
Another resource that is often overlooked is the Guttenberg database and Google books.
As promoted in the NBC series, the stories that connect us through our histories can be more enlightening than just a collection of names and dates.
Reading through the old books, especially personal accounts and diaries, can open our minds to a host of possibilities and provide a connection to our heritage.
Understanding the events surrounding the lives of our ancestors, and learning some of the details of the conditions in which they lived can often reveal their personalities and allow us to get to know those who have long since passed into the shadows of time.
Once you begin to discover the resources and digital documents that lead you through the ages, you may begin to feel a desire to handle the actual antique documents and read the accounts first hand.
This type of research activity can be quite compelling and lead you past that point of apathy or even frustration.
We all reach this point sooner or later.
The ability to handle documents containing the words written by our ancestors, or being able to trace your finger over a signature penned by a distant relation can often provide an electric spark that spurs you on to find even more.
If you are lucky your digital search may lead you to uncover such documents as diaries, journals, and family letters that can lead you down yet another road.
I was lucky enough to inherit a box of letters my grandmother saved for years.
Other family members intended on throwing them out, but naturally, as I had begun to have an interest in genealogy, I insisted that they be given to me for safe keeping.
So, I took the box of old letters and stored them for a decade before I really began to delve into my family history.
When I finally got around to reading those letters I found a wealth of information and some surprising stories that were the spark that ignited a 30 year quest.
I am now posting many of these as digital content at my own sites for others to use in their research.
Combine these with the resources of Ancestry.
com with these others and you can leap through the generations in record time.
A word of caution, however, is appropriate.
New researchers are prone to accept new connections on the basis of name only.
This can be a deterrent to uncovering the true connections between families.
The availability of digital documents can easily verify the connections you find, if you will only take a little additional time to check them out.