Alex Haley Original Annotated Roots Manuscript.

Published in October 1976 amid significant advance expectations, Roots was immediately successful, garnering a slew of positive reviews and debuting at #5 of The New York Times Best Seller list. By mid-November, it had risen to the #1 spot on the list. The television adaptation of the book aired in January 1977 and within seven months of its release, Roots had sold over 1.5 million copies. In total, Roots spent 22 weeks at the #1 spot on The Times' list, including each of the first 18 weeks of 1977. Ultimately, it was on the list for a total 46 weeks. Together, the success of the novel and its 1977 television adaptation, sparked an explosion of interest in the fields of genealogy and researching family histories. Haley earned a Pulitzer Prize special award in 1977 for Roots. The television miniseries garnered many awards, including nine Emmys and a Peabody. It was remade again in 2016 starring Malachi Kirby, Forest Whitaker, Anna Paquin, Laurence Fishburne and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.