Tom Kinte "Murray" was the son of "Chicken" George Lea and his wife, Matilda, grandson of Kizzy, and great grandson of Kunta Kinte. He is the great grandfather of Alex Haley.
Childhood
Tom was born as a slave on Massa Lea's Plantation in Caswell County, North Carolina to "Chicken" George and his wife, Matilda. He has five brothers and two sisters. During his time in Massa Lea's Plantation, he becomes an apprentice for blacksmith at another plantation. When his father and his master lost a bet in a cockfight to Sir Eric Russell, George have go to England to owe his master's debts. Before he leaves, George tells the story of the African, Kunta Kinte to his family. Massa Lea's fortunes continue to diminish that he sold young Tom and his family except his grandmother, Kizzy, due to the latter's old age, to Massa Murray (Harvey in the miniseries), a kind, rich slaveowner who run a company in Alamance County, North Carolina.
Adult Years
Tom became a blacksmith for Massa Murray's Plantation and the Confederate Army. He met and married Irene from another plantation. Tom was happy when he reunited his newly freed father after the latter's return from England. However, he was informed by Massa Harvey that in a law if any former slave would stay in the next sixty days in a slave state, he or she would return into slavery. Tom discusses with his father about his father, his grandmother Kizzy, and his great grandfather Kunta Kinte before his father heads out to maintain his free status. Tom saw a man stealing foods in a store, he tries to stop him but he couldn't catch the thief. Then, he was confronted by the Brent brothers and their fellow Confederate men. They thought Tom was trying to steal food, they ganged up on him, and Jemmy Brent broke Tom's ribs. While he was recovering, he saw the thief again he confronts him. George told Tom the reasons why he stole was because he and his pregnant wife was poor and he was trying to feed his family. Tom helps Ol'George to earn a job as a overseer for Massa Murray's Plantation even though Ol'George is a nice man and did not believe in cruelty. When Ol' George's child died, Tom and his family comfort George and his wife and mourned their child's death. While Tom was working, Jemmy Brent came and gave Tom the money to fetch a new clothes for the Confederate Army. Tom left and recieved new clothes, however he finds Jemmy trying to rape his wife, Irene. To protect his Irene, Tom told Jemmy that he believed him and cast the clothes in the fire which angered Jemmy. They started to brawl, Tom overcamed Jemmy and before he drowned him to death, he told Jemmy that before he is sent to hell, he tell the devil that he was killed by the hands of a black man. While his searching the killer of his brother, Evan asked Tom if he knew anything to Jemmy's death, Tom lied that he knew nothing and that one horse kicked his face. Suspicious that Tom killed his brother, he told Tom that it won't be the last time he sees him and then heads off.
After Slavery
In 1865, Union defeated the Confederates in the Civil War to end slavery. Lewis brought the news to Tom and Virgil that the Union won and slavery is over, few days later they were saddened of the assassination of President Licoln. Tom and the family discussed that they will stay and working in the Harvey Plantation until Chicken George comes back. After the meeting, Evan Brent and other former soliders formed the Night Rider. During Tom's family mourned the death of President Lincoln, the Night Riders came terrorized and burned most of Massa Harvey's plantation. Harvey gave the ownership remaining land to the Evan Brent as much to the family's dismay. Night Riders came to confront to Tom, Tom showed up to confront the night riders, his hands was tied to a tree and was almost whipped to death. Ol' George has to whip Tom to save his friend's life. While he was being treated his lash wounds, Tom orders Lewis to bring Jemmy's gun in order to protect himself and the family. Chicken George reunites with the family and informes them that he bought a new place in Tennessee. They devised a plan to scare Evan, they plan worked, they had him tied to a tree, almost whip him to frighten him, then they left him but a warning from Chicken George that he comes to threat them George would kill him. Later, Chicken George, Tom and the rest of the family left Alamance County to Hening, Tennessee to start a new life that told the story of the Kunta Kinte generation
He would start and run a blacksmith company.