In 1750 in the river region of The Gambia in West Africa, Omoro Kinte and his wife, Binta, have their first child, a son named Kunta. Kunta is trained in Mandinka customs and is a dedicated student who dreams of traveling to the university. After being kidnapped and captured by the Koros, Kunta is sold to British slave traders in 1767 and is shipped to America. In Annapolis, Maryland, he is sold to a Virginia planter named John Waller and is given the slave name Toby. Kunta strongly resists his new name and enslavement. He relies on the wise counsel of Fiddler, an assimilated slave and sophisticated musician who has been assigned to train him. Malachi Kirby, and Forest Whitaker star.

Redcoats attempt to persuade slaves to run away and join the English army; Kunta escapes but slave catchers apprehend him and amputate half of his foot to ensure he never runs off again; John Waller sells Kunta to his younger brother, William.

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