1767: Kunta Kinte, a 17-year-old African boy, son of Omoro and Binta, leads a peaceful life in Gambia. He distinguished himself during the rituals of passage to adulthood but did not take advantage of his new status for long: during a solo excursion, he was captured by slave traders and embarked on a boat, in appalling conditions, to reach America.
Despite an attempted rebellion, the ship that takes Kunta Kinté and his companions in misfortune to America ends up arriving in Annapolis, where Kunta is sold to a tobacco planter. Violin, the slave in charge of Kunta's apprenticeship, becomes his only friend. Kunta resists his new slave condition, notably refusing to answer to his slave name (Toby). He is appalled that American-born slaves have forgotten their African origins. He is recaptured after an attempt to escape and whipped: under the blows, he ends up submitting, and accepting to answer to his name of slave.
1776: Kunta Kinté tries once again to escape, which causes him to have his right foot amputated by slave hunters. He marries, and loses his old friend Violin. Another opportunity to escape presents itself, but Kunta gives it up to care for his wife and his newborn daughter, whom he gives the name Kizzy, a word in the language of his ancestors meaning "You don't ever leave", to symbolize his decision not to try to run away, and to devote himself to his family.
Kizzy befriends Anne, the young girl who was the result of a secret affair between Kizzy's master, Dr. William Reynolds, and the wife of his cuckold brother John, the previous Kunta's owner. The girls quickly, and secretly, become best friends, which ends up having unintended serious consequences later on. In 1806, Kizzy falls in love with a slave called Noah, who later tries to escape. Unfortunately, he is quickly caught and tortured leading Kizzy to be sold to Tom Moore who immediatly abuses her. In 1824, Kizzy is allowed to visit the plantation of her previous owner, Dr. William Reynolds, and learn the ultimate fate of her parents. Meanwhile, old slave Mingo teaches Kizzy's son George how to become a great cockfighting trainer.
Chicken George marries and is sent to England to settle a debt from his master. 1859: Chicken George returns to America as a free man. When he returned, his son Tom got married. Rumors of a possible abolition of slavery circulate but the Civil War breaks out and Tom takes up arms.
The war is over, the Confederacy having surrendered, freeing the slaves. Mr. Harvey invites the slaves to stay if they wish, maybe sharecropping. The rest of the plantation owners, a senator and the sheriff have a meeting to discuss options, with the senator declaring that he's come to buy a lot of land. When tempers flare, the sheriff leaves. President Lincoln is shot by John Wilkes Booth. The former Harvey slaves' encampment is visited by masked men with torches on horses and Harvey is warned to "keep out of it".