St. Louis - Central Library FULL EPISODE | Genealogy Roadshow Season 1 | PBS America

At the historic public library, a mystery writer discovers her mother has hidden a life-changing secret, a woman finds out if she is descended from the pirate Blackbeard, and a mother and daughter seek connections to a famous author.
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[@karibear6504]

I love seeing the younger generations getting excited about their ancestry. I didn't understand the importance of knowing where you come from when I was this little girl's age, but now I wish I had listened to more of my great-grandmother's stories. We are all living history every day of our lives, no matter how insignificant we may feel.

[@jerrilynhenson9024]

I’m so glad he did the dna for young James. Something told him where his ancestors were from. ❤️

[@megb9700]

Thanks for showing a neuro diverse teen. This made my own neuro diverse teenage son so excited to see another kid pursue his passion!

[@mycatsnameiskaren8253]

Thank you for posting this. Made my heart feel fuzzy and warm. I wish they'd do this in school for all the kids. What an amazing history lesson for our kids.

[@monicacall7532]

PBS, PLEASE consider rebooting Genealogy Roadshow! The next to last story really resonated with me for different reasons. As the young man who wanted to know where in Africa his ancestors were from learned knowing where your ancestors came from can help you feel rooted. My paternal grandfather always reminded me, my sibs and my cousins along with my dad and his sibs that we were Danes and the possible descendants of the Vikings from the time that we were all tiny. We celebrated our Scandinavian heritage up until my grandmother whose father’s mother also immigrated from Denmark died. It was like one of our important links to our ancestors and our heritage was abruptly severed. As the oldest grandchild Grandpa told me all of the family stories and asked me to keep them alive in the family for future generations which I’m trying to do along with reintroducing the Danish customs and food that was so important to him. We knew that at some point in the past these ancestors had temporarily moved to Norway for what they we think were economic reasons, but we didn’t know when. In 2003 my husband, younger son and I visited Iceland and Norway with a touring musical group that both of us performed in. On a day off we visited the famous Viking ship museum in Oslo. I’m not a fanciful person by any remote means, so when I went to see the first long ship I was suddenly overwhelmed by an incredible feeling of coming home and being among my ancestors and I began to cry. Another lady in our group whom I didn’t know well had a very similar experience in another part of the museum. In both cases most of the people around us thought that we were delusional and couldn’t understand why we would be weeping with joy over ancestors who were possibly “infamous for being rapists, looters and pillagers” to quote another member of our group. One of our Norwegian guides for our group took me aside later on after the museum visit and told me that when he was was young and touring as a soloist with the Royal Swedish Opera Company he also had a similar experience in which he felt that he’d “come home” to where his ancestors had lived and that somehow they seemed to be aware that a descendant had returned to the land of his ancestors. He understood my unusual experience. It’s difficult to explain the feelings and the experience that I had, but I also can’t deny that it happened and that it was NOT a figment of my imagination.🇩🇰

[@carameldiva5131]

I feel this way the second I step into my Mom's hometown in Texas where we still have hoards of family members.

[@sandyfields678]

What ive read about vikings,.. women were strong and revered..viki gs came 2 varios parts of world,,they wentv2 scotlanr wnd stayed,,recently read kn my tablrt,,my grma 2as irish,scottish..had 12 kids, good woman..cant imwgine th3 c ancestors doi g all horrible 5hings said,..but we never know,. 8n holy bible,cain slew abel..

[@bindywuertenberg6644]

YES!! They need to reboot this show! As well as “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” These are such great shows! But with who do you think you are…., they need to focus more on real everyday people! Not just celebs!

[@kimberly1273]

This show should be put back in to production!

[@cruisepaige]

Young James is so delightful!!!

[@samanthabenavides4319]

I love this show. They handle sometimes sensitive issues with such grace and compassion. We all could shake a few surprises out of the old family tree!

[@cruisepaige]

Grace and compassion, yes!

[@Juddi-fw4fg]

​@@cruisepaige'

[@PK-bh1ww]

You don't see the black ancestry in the last woman but you can see it in her children. I think her tears came from knowing how sad it must have been for her Mother to have to hide her ancestry. Hopefully some day that will never be. We should all be proud and never ashamed of our ancestral bloodline.

[@lightyagami3492]

Yes her son looked like he was of african descent. Her grandkids though look more Asian than black due to who I assume is thier mother.

[@PK-bh1ww]

@@lightyagami3492 I came into the story late the 1st time. Now that I watch it again I think that is her daughter and son in law. It's the son-in-law who is dark and the children do favor him. I think that is her daughter there because they have a very similar mouth shape and the gal shook her head in agreement when the Mother was describing how her Mother always wore a hat. And that daughter looks a lot like the grandmother that was mallato.

[@bahiyyahmoore4851]

Are you blind ...( respectfully) caucasian dont look that dark unless theres 1drop . Or maybe i know bc my gm was a part time passer

[@PK-bh1ww]

@@bahiyyahmoore4851 ? The woman speaking doesn't look like she has any black blood. People can be dark without having black blood line. It shows more in bone structure of the head than in color. I have a cousin who married a black man and had 3 children. The boy looks mulatto, one girl more black and the other girl leans toward white. The one who looks more white has a daughter by a white man. Daughter doesn't look black at all. Which is how it is with this woman speaking. She and her daughter don't look like they have any black blood line.

[@bahiyyahmoore4851]

@@PK-bh1ww Madam/Sir it was obvious to me she IS a black woman

[@amethyst3139]

As a fellow Asperger's mom, the James Taylor story truly warmed my heart

[@EricBrunoBorgman]

I hope Mr. Taylor was able to get in touch with his father.

[@makrsk09]

History unfolding before our eyes! I love the stories that are being told with the use of historical records. I am one of the many thousands of individuals who index the records so that they are available in digital form on the internet. I have loved seeing records which I helped to index!!!

[@denisedarnell1641]

How sad for the last woman...for her mom to live like that and to have sisters she never knew ..wish life was different then...this woman was lucky to learn it now ..too bad just after her moms passing but didnt want to know about it either ..

[@cynsi7604]

I just love Josh! 🤗 I’m old enough to be his mother. He just seems like a neat kid & I like the way he explains things. (Plus my baby brother’s name is Josh, maybe that’s why🤔) And I REALLY miss this show not being on TV. ✌🏻

[@soniatriana9091]

This young man, James Herschel, is such a talented & amazing scholar! It was a pleasure to see & hear what he hoped to discover about his Ancestors!! Then, to watch his reactions as his wishes came through about where his DNA placed his Ancestors - it was such a joy for him, his parents, & for myself (as well as many other viewers, I’m sure)!! Great video!!

[@neatofication]

That little girl who was excited about Laura Ingalls Wilder was so cute!!! Lol awww 🥰

[@Grahzzyvtvlog]

One of the best flexes she will have in school

[@tonylarussa4046]

St Louis was named after Louis IX (25 April 1214 - 25 August 1270, commonly revered as Saint Louis) He was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He holds the unique distinction of being the sole canonized king of France.

[@lynndafeth6015]

These genealogist are good! Amazing work they perform to dig through so much to help families find the truth.

[@Darkslide99]

I feel so bad for Gail, and her mom living with that secret her whole life.

[@boetr7014]

The mother must have lived a paranoid life, constantly terrified her secret would be outed- and it was, by her own daughter. I'd like to think out of respect for her she kept the secret going. The revelation that in fact both her maternal grandparents were Black really shook her to the core. Would be interesting to find out if she does track down the other half family of her grandfather's.

[@bindywuertenberg6644]

If this was St. Louis Missouri, I’m disappointed! It always seems I miss these things when they come to town! I would LOVE to go to a genealogy roadshow live!!!!

[@sno_dash9817]

I absolutely love this show. It inspires me to keep looking for my ancestors even though I am stuck at the moment I will continue. Thanks

[@bindywuertenberg6644]

James Taylor is such a wonderful kid. It’s awesome that he has such an interest in his family. But I know because if slavery, just like with Native Americans, so much of their history has been obliterated. Which makes it difficult at times to make connections. So AWESOME that the Roadshow could help make some connections for James and his family. Such lovely people. I hope his interest continues and grows. It’s such a gift to have that information. Too many people, especially those who have a very disrupted background, have lost so much of their family history. And far too many people have never kept, or had the interest in keeping family history, written, pictures ( if possible) or through records, which has been such a dis service to their families. By not doing their part, they are denying, and losing important information that helps families bond, and also grow with the amazing things past relatives may have been able to achieve. The Taylors have gained some awesome info that has helped to not only validate, but fill out and answer questions that made a difference in their personal bal lives. THATS what it’s all about!! Best wishes to the Taylors! So happy you got such fascinating information!

[@fowleheidi482]

I love James Taylor, what a sweet kid

[@pechenoir9780]

CORRECTION: This city was NOT named after King Louis XIV. It was named after Saint Louis IX, the only French king to became a saint.

[@user-jc8ud6xe9r]

We are born who we are. All people of all races are special because GOD CREATED EACH AND EVERYONE OF US. This is a beautiful family. I feel bad for people who feel they have to hide their true birth. I can’t imagine what this precious mother went through during her life. All people should be accepted for who the are. Find good in all and just love one another. God bless, Linda ❤❤❤❤❤

[@user-jc8ud6xe9r]

Thank you 😊 Have a beautiful day.

[@neatofication]

This was a really great episode!

[@erykahhoney588]

I love these shows. Please share more. I would also like to know how I can attend a show and get my geneology done for my moms side. I dont know very much about my moms side of the family

[@lhea57]

Love Jame’s story.

[@sarahdugan6081]

That last woman was on another show about her mother passing and I think she met some of her black relatives. I think it was on Tamryn Hall?

[@SlickSydney]

This show is fabulous. Thank you

[@tww_occult]

This show is amazing and with modern advancements it would be fascinating to see what they could find now!

[@susanbaker8023]

Wonderful show.

[@jillburton6041]

I love this show!!!

[@karenkaus3746]

AUTHOR gail was on the Meaghan Kelly show over 5 years ago where she talks about her new book about her mother's secret and where she meets her other family. She found confronted her mother in 1997 about her secret.

[@pretzeltime3900]

I love this show!

[@lizsmith7816]

It may not have been probable that a seaman lived in Rowan Co., NC, but it WAS possible. In fact, it was positively a fact that at least one Sea Captain lived in Rowan Co. His name was Aaron Van Cleave. He and his brother owned a sho that traded up and down the Atlantic sea coast. They got into some financial trouble, so set off for the south. They ended up in Rowan Co., where Aaron bought the Boone family farm from Daniel Boone.

[@NorthernDoorAutumn]

She looks SO much like her mother. 🥰🥰🥰

[@michelenj312]

I went to college with an Epps and a Fields and both of them have characteristics that match what you’re discussing here. Light eyes, copper hair (more noticeable in the Summer) and definitely redbone.

[@jerrilynhenson9024]

Again, being related to and descending from are different. Ivan the Terrible wasn’t his ancestor but still could have been related.

[@deniaridley]

I thought the same.

[@jerrilynhenson9024]

These are fun stories, but Laura Ingalls Wilder would not have been the little girls “ancestor”. She would have been a distant cousin. Big difference. 🤦‍♀️

[@nq6508]

The cousin is still related to her ancestors. Somebody is a pessimist.

[@tx_katie8068]

I do not believe it is pessimistic to clarify relationships. An ancestor is someone from whom you descend. You would not call a 1st or 2nd cousin your ancestor. Still, it's a very interesting story!

[@cherylbrooks7005]

❤

[@patriciajrs46]

What happened to the head of Blackbeard? If it's in a museum, is there any way to get dna from it, and do a profile for Blackbeard? Did Teach even have records in Carolina?

[@maureenwright5151]

Do the people shown get a digital copy of the findings?

[@dianatreadway4775]

The mom and daughter with ?about laura ingalls wilder are 95 % likely to be related as her family is also decndended from the delano family

[@deniaridley]

Good point

[@sherrybrown368]

She did6look happy to find out she's part African 😮

[@Kirsten_Harwood]

Why feel bad??

[@monicacall7532]

Why? Because shame is such a corrosive emotion and can emotionally eat up people on the inside who have skeletons in their family’s closet, especially skeletons that deal with things that were illegal, unethical and/or considered to be socially taboo at a particular point in time, regardless of how we now view the beliefs and/or behaviors of that particular time in the past. My maternal grandmother and her older sister were constantly molested by their father until they began puberty. At the time (late 1890’s and early 1900’s) even talking about such a terrible and horrific situation was was not only socially unacceptable, but when both she and her sister had tried to tell the pastor of their church he not only didn’t believe the girls, but he told them they were to blame for the problem. As their father was an important and respected member of their congregation and community he could easily lie through his teeth and be believed to be innocent while she and her sister would be judged “ruined and unclean” and be persecuted and shunned by both the church and community. These poor girls kept quiet and took this secret to their graves. After Granny and her sister both died and we were getting her house ready to sell when my mom came across a secret journal and letters (found in a secret compartment in an old steamer trunk) to and from her sister that outlined the abuse that they had suffered at their father’s hands. As far as they knew their mother was never aware of what had happened. Grandma’s sister somehow miraculously managed not to be horribly scarred by the abuse and was such a loving and caring lady. We loved her dearly. On the other hand Granny was all but completely emotionally destroyed by her father’s actions and took her constant rage out on her husband, kids and us grandchildren. All of us were relieved when she died because she’d made life miserable for her entire family. How sad and heartbreaking is that!? Refusing to be open and honest regarding family secrets can lead to so much generational harm and trauma. The old saying, “You shall know the truth and it will set you free.” certainly is 100% true. Only when the truth is known can a person or group of people begin to heal and move forward with their lives.

[@jerrilynhenson9024]

The one on Blackbeard…he never mentions a woman…just men..??

[@helentaylor7132]

The Blackbeard types didn't marry and "got it where they could," if you know what I mean. Plus, I doubt there were many (if any) female pirates back then. If they fathered children, who would know other than maybe the mother? Written history is only as good as the existing documentation it's based on. No point in being feminist about it. It was what it was.

[@mommyjsj]

My GG Grandmother is buried beside Laura Ingles Wilder.

[@deborahbaker4770]

OMG I’M RELATED TO LAURA INGALLS WILDER MY GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS ALSO CHARLES INGALLS AND MY TWO GREAT AUNT’S USE TO VIST LAURA INGALLS WILDER IN MINNESOTA ‼️‼️ EDMUND INGALLS CAME FROM ENGLAND AND FOUNDED…LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS HIS FIRST WIFE PASSED AWAY AND HE REMARRIED A WOMEN WHO WAS ACCUSED OF BEING A WITCH HER NAME WAS….MARTHA CARRIER INGALLS AND SHE WAS HUNG AS A WITCH. IDO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS WOMEN IS RELATED TO MY ANCESTOR LAURA INGALLS WILDER

[@helentaylor7132]

Well, it's totally cool if you're directly related! I believe this lady was a cousin and not straight-line related. Still cool. (If she wasn't related they wouldn't have featured her on the show.)

[@nailahdawkins]

46:44: It sounds like her mom wanted to do more than take *it to her grave.* She used "passing" her _whole_ life and after she died THEN wanted the truth to come out. Lady you Black!

[@gfjchs3n1]

Stay WOKE. There are secrets/unknowns in every family. What's more important is will I see you in heaven?

[@JleeA314]

Anyone else see the 8% European dismissed?

[@helentaylor7132]

It's a small percentage and wasn't dismissed--it just wasn't featured. The young man had always been more excited about his Ethiopian and Mali heritage, so that's what they featured. There was other African heritage on the map that they also didn't discuss. He's detail-oriented so I'm sure he'll look into all the information provided to him. They certainly made his day and mine, too! Sorry, but your comment reveals what you got from that amazing segment--not much.

[@CitrianSnailBY]

Obviously, the cameraman is on drugs and the narrator had at least four times more caffeine than he should. Your show is *unwatchable.* Whatever happened to the *civilized* stuff, such as "Finding Your Roots"?

[@yeahnoonecaresifyouarefirst]

Dang! I want my family tree made ❤🥹 Imagine passing off as another color.... I can't