When I first met Alex Haley, the author of “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” at the Walt Disney-owned Polynesian Hotel in Orlando, I asked him what was behind the growing popularity of genealogy. His answer was basically, “curiosity.”

“People of all ages, both young and old, always want to know who came before them and it’s a basic human question that helps us know who we really are,” said the best-selling author.

Genealogy, or the study of ancestors and descendants, is now one of the world’s most popular hobbies. It has become the second most popular in the U.S., behind only gardening, according to Time magazine.

Oddly enough, both hobbies deal with roots.

Why did this happen? First, let’s look at Haley, who certainly did not invent the trend but was a prime force behind it.

When I met Haley years ago, it was in early fall—soon after “Roots” was published in October 1976. I was a newspaper reporter on an assignment. I never spoke to Haley again but did closely follow his career.

While he gained fame and fortune from the book that traced his own slave family’s history, it was a bittersweet experience. “Roots” derived from the tales told by his grandmother and aunts. It documented that oral tradition with slave and birth records. Within seven months of its publication, “Roots” had sold more than 1.5 million copies.

A television series based on the book, telling of Haley’s efforts to trace his family back to 1760s Africa, aired in January 1977, breaking viewership records at that time. Haley’s book, which mingled historical facts with creative interpretations, was described as having “sparked an explosion of interest” in genealogy and family history research.

“Roots” was eventually published in 37 languages. Haley won a special Pulitzer Prize in 1977. The same year, “Roots” was adapted as a popular television miniseries of the same name by ABC. The serial reached a record-breaking 130 million viewers. 

Writer and television historian Les Brown wrote that the mini-series “emptied theaters, filled bars, caused social events to be canceled and was the talk of the nation during the eight consecutive nights it played on ABC.”

Haley became a huge celebrity. But unfortunately, as “Roots” grew in popularity, awkward questions swirled. Haley was sued for plagiarism, which he settled out of court. Much worse (and much more public) were the growing questions from historians and journalists, who questioned Haley’s research, pointing out that the dates he claimed were impossible and that several of his characters hadn’t even existed.

Haley died in 1992 after a heart attack. He was 70 years old.

Some say genealogy has gained popularity in the United States because we are a blend of various nationalities and cultures. Others suggest that humans everywhere have an innate desire to know in what country, and with whom, their physical roots lie. Others point out that studying our ancestors is nothing new—it goes back thousands of years.

“The fascination goes back to antiquity,” sociologist Eviatar Zerubavel told LiveScience. “Royalty, for example, and nobility were very obsessed with creating genealogies that would link them to heroes.”

Prior to Haley, finding your ancestors was time-consuming and expensive. Today, thanks to the many companies and organizations offering their help, it’s far more available. Not to mention there are some legitimate “free” services such as Ancestry.com and others.

In what was perhaps his most frequently quoted remark on the subject, Haley explained its popularity by saying: “In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage—to know who we are and where we have come from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning.”

And there’s also curiosity.

Where to get FREE genealogy help

GRAND JUNCTION

The FamilySearch Center,
2881 Orchard Ave., Grand Junction (inside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)
Open Tuesday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday & Thursday 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 1-4 p.m.
Call 970-243-2782 for details

Mesa County Genealogical Society
Get free one-on-one help at Mesa County Libraries on the first Friday of every month. Visit MesaCountyLibraries.org to register, or call 970-243-4442.

• October 6, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. - Fruita Branch 
• November 3, 2-4 p.m. - Palisade Branch
• December 1, 1-3 p.m. - Central Library, Grand Junction

The club also meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at Koinonia Church. Call 303-549-4398 to verify meeting time beforehand. 

DELTA

Digging Your Roots Genealogy Group 
This group meets at Cedaredge Library, 180 SW 6th Ave., at 10:30 a.m. on the 4th Friday of every month. Call 970-399-7674 or visit deltalibraries.org for details.

MONTROSE

Montrose Family Search Center 
1251 Hillcrest Drive, Montrose
Open 1-4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
Call 970-249-4739 for details

Fore-Kin Trails Genealogical Society meets at Montrose Genealogy Center, 700 E. Main St., from 1-4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. Call 970-240-1755 for details.