What Life On the Trail of Tears Was Like

The Trail of Tears, the forced migration of Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Seminole tribe members, and many others, from their ancestral lands in the US Southeast to allowed territory in Oklahoma, resulted in the deaths of over 4,000 Native Americans along the way. What was everyday life on the Trail of Tears like? Thanks to many surviving first-hand accounts of the Trail, we have records of the harsh, brutal realities of daily life during over 1,000 miles of hard traveling.

#TrailOfTears #USHistory #WeirdHistory

[jennyprong]

I'd like to see you do a series about the Native American tribes. What life was like for each group. What were their similarities and differences, customs, etc...

[amethyst]

My family somehow avoided this, and took great pains for the next few generations to keep their indengenious blood secret. It wasn't until my generation, and I am only 41, that they would start talking about it. What happened and the fear that transpired afterwards was absolutely horrible.
I am reading all these comments about how people didn't know about this, honestly is incomprehensible. Maybe it was where I was raised, but I remember this being extensively covered in school and the wrongness of it. Even the knowledge that the indigenous people retained slaves. I grew up in the central Georgia area.

[chitramoontarot]

I can’t even imagine being told I have to leave my home against my will. Terrible

[AdzaanMaiiTso]

This is really cool to see a channel talk about. You should do The Long Walk of the Navajo. It was very similar to what happened to the Chereokee.
My family avoided the Long Walk by hiding in the mountains but a lot of people were taken. My grandfather, in fact, remembered an old man who was born while the Navajos were in captivity. People like to think it's old history but it's not. It's extremely recent.

[ymizun]

Hi. I'm from Japan. I'm learning American history, having found this video by chance. This is so informative and makes understand "Trail of tears" intelligibly ! I didn't expect the condition of the trek was so harsh and brutal. Also, Indians walked barefoot. I feel sorrowful.... The historical site should be stored. I'd like to keep studying and hopefully go there someday.

[dylansamv]

Half native here, inrolled into the Mvskoke creek tribe, sad to know this happened to my great great Great grandparents

[woodstock]

A series on the "5 civilized tribes" explaining the history behind each tribe and when they signed a contract with the U.S. government and what happened to them after signing. Also maybe an episode on the tribes that refused to sign a treaty.

[millcreekrange]

Every time I think about this atrocity it makes my blood boil. And to think, our government hasn’t really changed much from back then either.

[Sir_Carnage]

My Grandmother was part of the Keetoowah Tribe in Oklahoma and, apparently, some part of my ancestry comes from them making the trek of the Trail of Tears.

[alyssao]

My great great grandma was apart of the Choctaw and was on trail of tears. She was sexually assaulted by a man in the military and became pregnant with my great grandmas brother. It’s is a true tragedy how people were treated on the trail of tears and i think it is even worse that the majority of schools don’t explain how bad the trail of tears really was

[candiceyoung]

This is so sad, knowing my ancestors went through such horrific times. Its awful. Thank you

[NashvilleDrumCoach]

Growing up in Oklahoma around Natives my whole life, it blows my mind living in Tennessee seeing how revered Andrew Jackson is out here. He was a piece of garbage. Where I’m from, his name is hated. Here he is honored

[swweets]

In case anyone wants to learn more, Bailey Sarian has at least one really good video explaining what an actual demon Andrew Jackson was

[NotMyWar]

I’m from just south of Indianapolis and when I was a boy in the early 90’s there was an old man that lived alone in this creepy mansion outside of the town I grew up in. He told my brother and I that his father bought the land from the Lenape, and that a community of them lived there well into the 1900’s.

[nicolasbaker]

Learned about this as a child. This was my introduction to the horrors that humankind is capable of inflicting on one another.

[framedavinci]

I remember learning about this 30 years ago when I was in primary school. I remember my teacher talking about how much our great country has improved and evolved and how we should learn from the past mistakes of our ancestors.

I think what's sadder is teachers that actually want to teach instead of preach are becoming few and far between.

[ChristophersMum]

I had heard how the native tribes had been forcibly removed from their lands...however I am shocked at how cruel this turned out to be...but not in the least surprised...every government has done the same...the same happened to my kin in Scotland with the Clearances...there are still traces of abandoned villages in the hills.

[thegeneralofsound]

I am from Canada and we had these “schools” for native children and even today they are uncovering mass graves full of children. Such a travesty

[mime]

I’m from Europe and I wasn’t educated about this topic… this is atrocious and it pains me to see cultures erased and people suffering, even dying, because of the need some men have for power. I’m so sorry for what the Native people and the African American people had to go through… and it’s even saddening that we are not taught about this

[brianyoung]

It never fails to make my heart ache every time I see something about the Trail of Tears. Even as a small kid hearing the watered-down version of the event in history class, I was always shaken by the extreme savagery of the American settlers. Having read lots of things about the Trail of Tears, I must admit it does feel good knowing that there are organizations like Weird History telling the details of the event as they occurred. Thank you guys for telling the truth and not sugar-coating it as school teachers tend to do.