Satellite TV Addict

When Miss Hoover assigns the class to write a paper on their family tree, Lisa is excited to find out what famous people she is related to. Lisa is disappointed to find out there are only scoundrels associated with the Simpson side of the family. Lisa searches the attic to see if any other family history is packed away there. Lisa finds her ancestor Eliza Simpson’s diary and is thrilled to find that Eliza was part of the Underground Railroad, a group that helped slaves escape to freedom. As Lisa reads the diary out loud she relives the story as Eliza Simpson. Lisa discovers one of her ancestors, Virgil Simpson, was a slave. Lisa exclaims they are 1/64 black. Bart says “So that’s why I’m so cool”, while Lisa says “And that’s why my jazz is so smooth”. In typical Simpsons social commentary, Homer says “And that’s why I earn less than my white co-workers.”

In a flashback, Eliza discovers an evil slave owner (Mr. Burns) bribes her father (Homer) to give up Virgil, a slave hiding in their shed, for fried dough bits (donuts). Eliza runs to Virgil to warn him and they escape from the slave owners men, hiding in the bushes. As Lisa reads the final pages of the diary, the pages turn to dust. Lisa can’t stand that she doesn’t know the rest of the story. When Marge suggests they go to the library to do more research on Eliza Simpson, Lisa is hopeful they will find more about their family tree.

At the library, Marge and Lisa find a published cookbook of one of Eliza’s relatives with icky recipes of animal parts and more of the story of Eliza Simpson. The cookbook story by Eliza’s relative suggests Eliza was successful in helping Virgil escape. Lisa proudly presents her report, extolling the virtues of her relative. Milhouse ruins Lisa’s report by telling her Virgil and Eliza are caught and Eliza gives up.

Lisa is crushed by Milhouse’s news and heads home, dejected. Seeing Lisa so upset, Grandpa tells the family he knows the real ending to Eliza’s story but swore he would never tell them the truth but the family convinces grandpa to tell them everything he knows. Grandpa continues the story in another flashback. Eliza tries to stand up against her father to help Virgil but is reminded that girls should not question men but stay silent as was expected during that time. Eliza’s mother (Marge) confronts her husband and the evil slave owner, then flees with Virgil to Canada to help him escape slavery. During the journey Eliza’s mother and Virgil fall in love and marry, settling in Canada.

Lisa is estatic with the news that her ancestors Eliza and Eliza’s mother are heroes after all and that Virgil escaped slavery to become part of the family by taking the family name when married. Homer celebrates the news by claiming he’s of french ancestory, then drinking a bottle of wine.