Siblings Discover Emotional Connection to Historic Court Case | Roots Less Traveled | Ancestry®

[@AncestryUS]

Mary and Kevin’s emotional experience has us inspired! Are you ready for your own family history journey? Get started on building your own family tree with Ancestry® NOW: www.ancestry.com/s120422/t45174/rd.ashx

[@laurabryan6938]

I love how the daughter of their families owner basically called her dad out as incompetent for keeping slaves and then fought to free the people her father held captive such a boss

[@AncestryUS]

Frances is an inspiration!

[@estherstephens1858]

I cry EVERY time! I couldn’t help Google $1,500 in 1800 is worth over $33,000 today. I can’t wait for Finding Your Roots to come back next month.

[@stevenfreebairn2553]

Stories like these would be such a source of strength for any family!

[@AncestryUS]

It's amazing what you can find out when researching your own family history!

[@imaginelovepeaceandhappine3281]

I’m from Louisville KY. It felt good to hear this story. I look across the Ohio river into New Albany Indiana and think about how it’s such a short distance to freedom. How many lives were lost trying to make it to freedom. We in the USA take our freedom for granted.

[@patriciajrs46]

I'm white and this made me cry. Dang. Strong women.

[@zxcccccc1]

We are different tribes and nations but we are all human, until we relinquish it.

[@donnamarcelle7802]

Living in the Caribbean isle of Trinidad and Tobago..this had me in tears..such a powerful moving episode 😥

[@darlenefarmer5921]

In my many years of genealogy/history, I always get excited when I find white people who were willing to fight against the system of slavery...and yes, many of these folks were direct family members...many raised around and benefit for slavery. I can remember, while doing research, coming across a young, white man...in his twenties/thirties, who would travel to see his slave owning families in Fairfax, Virginia and when it was time for him to leave, he would secretly take a number of slaves with him...to Ohio...a free state. (I am not certain if this young man lived in Ohio...but he certainly helped to populate the state.) It took a minute for his large, collective family to realize that their slaves were missing...They eventually realized that their family member was visiting and leaving with more than just Fried chicken, biscuits and a jug of water for his long journey. The young man's family, eventually, put a bounty on the young man's head...for stealing their property and was no longer welcome at any family reunions. Just wanted to share this with you! Fantastic History!

[@marah3298]

Yes!! So well-said Darlene!

[@AlmondJoie]

It would be amazing for the descendants of that young white man to meet some of the descendants of the very people he helped to set free in Ohio. I have a dear friend for whom I secretly did genealogy research after the passing of her beloved mother. After researching her late mother's father's side of their family, I was completely stunned and thrilled to find that they were all free Black people who had lived in Ohio. In all of my research, I never found any enslaved people in their family and I managed to go all the way back to the late 1700's for her earliest known ancestors (her fourth great-grandparents). Thankfully, I was able to find several family trees on Ancestry that included photographs of my friend's grandfather and several other family members, which was an added treat! My friend was blown away by the research I found and it was great timing because she was able to share it with her aunt (her mother's older sister) while she was visiting her on vacation. That experience gave me just a taste of the joy that Dr. Gates must feel each time he films another episode of _Finding Your Roots._

[@AncestryUS]

This is so powerful, Darlene! Did you learn this through your own lineage?

[@AncestryUS]

Wow,@@AlmondJoie- what an amazing discovery! It must have been a truly fulfilling moment, especially paired with the opportunity for your friend to share it with family as well.

[@darlenefarmer5921]

@@AncestryUS Hi Ancestry! No! I learned this while doing my own family research. It was so fascinating, that I had to pause my research just to follow this young man's trail. And, you know, I think he was a Mason! Anywho, it amazed me because he was raised during this period of time and he/his family benefited/were wealthy because of this slave system. I don't know where/how he was converted. I do know that he took a number of slaves to Ohio...on a few trips...setting them free! Probably would not be too hard to research him as I think I have his name somewhere in my genealogy notes. Stories, such as this one, must be told. I hope this helps!

[@tinanealon733]

Beautiful story for both the Pyles and the family of the woman that freed them and fought so hard to do so.

[@anabella2014]

Pyle.

[@anabella2014]

Wow

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you for watching, Tina! We're glad you enjoyed this story!

[@jlongino51823]

Louisville native checking in. How heartbreaking freedom was so close but so far away from my own home today.

[@cefcat5733]

Yes, some people know what is right, without ever being told. They live by that, find like hearts and minds and inspire others to be strong and persistant. Cool video.

[@AncestryUS]

You're exactly right! You can see the love and appreciation they have for the women in their family, such as their 4th great-grandmother Charlotta Gordon Pyles.

[@cw4608]

It is heartbreaking to know a race of people had a monetary value placed on them.

[@ttp436]

So interesting and emotional. Wonderful. Charlotta was so beautiful. What an amazing lady. It nice these peoples story is being heard and their names. Imagine the millions of others who we also don’t know about. It’s amazing how the family resemblance is. Nice sister and brother too. Glhaooy for them. I choked up when the guy started crying.

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you so much for watching, PF JD! We're glad this story resonated with you. There are so many stories to uncover and we look forward to bringing as many as possible to light.

[@rosahacketts1668]

Wow, what a wonderful discovery. I doubt I have any distant family members like that but yet again I am very brave but without being loud and disruptive.

[@AncestryUS]

You never know, Rosa! Have you started a family tree yet? You never know what you'll discover 😁 You can get started with a free family tree here: www.ancestry.com/s120422/t45174/rd.ashx We'd love to see what you find out!

[@shaqbailey3869]

The sister still got the strong cheek bones

[@mikeross641]

I wonder if Charlotta Gordon Pyles was not only a former slave of Frances Gordon's family, but also biologically related to Frances as well.

[@ttp436]

Really? Wow omg. How? Like half sisters? Thought Charlotte might possibly be mixed.

[@ethanrobertson3008]

Possible very possible Me personally I would say yes I don't think Frances would have gone against her family and taking them to court if they were not biologically related. I think Frances was the only Gordon family member that had a moral mindset of how can my family enslave their own family members.

[@karengatto4461]

Such a wonderful family history!

[@michellebarlondsmith6243]

love it yes yes I do ... what a great story ...

[@craftmom5302]

I'm from Keokuk Iowa I bet I know their family

[@RodneyBriscoe11265]

That’s beautiful!

[@dee_dee_place]

To those naysayers who state, "one voice won't make a difference", this proves you wrong.

[@mariafernandez5087]

Wow!!❤️🙏🙏

[@gc1282]

Appears they may have Native American ancestry as well.

[@coolnewpants]

Those strong cheekbones don't lie

[@dee_dee_place]

I thought the same thing. Those cheekbones are a DNA marker in & of themselves.

[@davidbraun6209]

I was wondering that as well.

[@theajohnston761]

Just WOW!

[@AncestryUS]

We're glad you enjoyed it, Karen! Have you started to look at your own family history and find out details about your ancestors? We hope you'll take some time to talk with your family and collect the stories and details from your ancestors’ lives.

[@fuentes38]

I How many times do ancestries ask for your DNA telling you the first tube of saliva something when wrong with the first tube

[@carlotta4th]

Riddle me this: what can "go wrong" with a tube of saliva? Most people complaining about dna tests just don't like their results (but get the same exact results on a redo or with a different company). DNA can unearth a lot of skeletons in the family closet. Infedelity, switched babies at birth, aunts being your mother... lots of unpleasant revelations.

[@leahharvey3291]

❤️❤️❤️

[@annleslie7826]

This is so wonderful. And these stories are what Governors DeSantis of FL and Abbott of TX do not want to allow our children to be taught. Dear God. 🤦🏼‍♀️🙏🏽

[@pkmcnett5649]

That is a stretch. This story, and ones like it will be taught.

[@dee_dee_place]

@@pkmcnett5649 Don't count on that. I lived in South Florida for 32 years. My HS American History class only taught a scant amount of black history (black people were slaves & the civil war occurred- not even 1 chapter in our textbooks) & then came the carpetbaggers & the industrial age. That was the extent of our black history lessons. Do you know how I learned about Black History? My Mom worked in the children's dept of our library. Every year for Black History Month, the Librarian gave her books to make a display. Mom read all of them & then brought them home to me.

[@NyokaB]

❤️❤️🙏🏾

[@charismalyn]