Filmmaker David Wilson used the online resources, along with other materials, to chart his own family’s history, which is chronicled in the feature film "Meeting David Wilson," scheduled for major release later this year.
One discovery, in particular, shocked him.
"I received a call from a county clerk whom I contacted and he said he found someone linked to me whose name is David Wilson," he told Discovery News. "I told him it had to be a mistake, because I’m David Wilson, but that also turned out to be the name of the ancestor of the family that kept my relatives as slaves."
The New Jersey-raised filmmaker traveled to North Carolina to visit the other David Wilson.
"It was very awkward," he explained. "I introduced myself by saying, ‘I’m David Wilson and I believe your family once owned mine.’ I wasn’t just representing myself, but my entire family down through history."
He added, "It was a very cleansing experience, however. A tremendous weight lifted from me. We’ve developed a good relationship, and I now feel more connected to this country and to my personal history."
He advises everyone, especially black Americans, to research their family’s history.
"You will find stories of incredible strength and courage in your family, since we are all living proof that our ancestors were survivors," Wilson said.
The African American ancestry records may be accessed for free over any three days in February at Ancestry.com.
