Ep 3. Trail of Tears

In the third episode of American Experience: We Shall Remain, the focus shifts to the Trail of Tears. This tragic event saw the forced removal of thousands of Native Americans from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States, through a series of forced marches that led to many deaths along the way.

The episode begins with an overview of the political and economic forces that led to the Trail of Tears. Essentially, white settlers in the southeastern United States wanted the land that belonged to the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole nations. The U.S. government, under President Andrew Jackson, passed a series of laws and policies that made it possible to move these Native American groups west of the Mississippi River.

The episode then delves into the personal stories of several Native Americans who were affected by the Trail of Tears. We hear from Cherokee leaders like Major Ridge and John Ross, who were divided on whether to resist the relocation or try to negotiate a better deal. We also meet several ordinary Cherokee people who were forced to leave their homes behind and travel hundreds of miles to Oklahoma, where they were expected to start a new life.

One of the most heartbreaking stories comes from a young Cherokee woman named Lucy Lowery Hoyt. She was only a teenager when she and her family were forced to leave their home in Georgia. Along the way, her father died and she was separated from her mother and siblings. She eventually made it to Oklahoma, where she met and married a white man. But she never forgot her Cherokee roots, and later in life she became an advocate for preserving Cherokee culture and history.

The episode does not shy away from the brutal realities of the Trail of Tears. We see how the U.S. government used military force to round up Native Americans and force them to leave their homes. We hear about the diseases that ran rampant through the makeshift camps where Native Americans were held before the journey west began. And we see the devastating impact that the move had on the Native American populations, including high rates of disease, malnutrition, and depression.

Despite the horrors of the Trail of Tears, the episode also shines a light on the resilience and strength of the Native American people. We see how they adapted to their new surroundings in Oklahoma, creating new communities and preserving their cultural traditions. And we see how they continued to fight for their rights, both through legal means and through acts of resistance and rebellion.

Overall, the third episode of American Experience: We Shall Remain offers a sobering and powerful look at one of the darkest chapters in Native American history. Through personal stories, archival footage, and insightful commentary, the episode challenges viewers to confront the legacy of the Trail of Tears and to acknowledge the enduring strength and resilience of the Native American people.