Researching your roots can give your life new perspective. I will share with you something I found in my family history. As I posted above one side of my family goes back to the establishment of the colonies.
We have heard about the horrors of slavery all of our lives. The fact that people were actually the property of other people. But nothing brought that fact home to me until I was reading some estate papers from one of my ancestors. There listed in black and white several men, woman, and a child were listed on this ancestors list of assets.
It really brought home to me the fact that people were treated as property. Can you imagine listing a human being on your net assets?
I am not ashamed to admit there were slaveholders in our family. That was them, not me. I was slightly shocked that my New England family was where I found them. But seeing that one piece of history has given me a new respect for freedom.