The Trail of Tears | The Frontier

The Trail of Tears | The Frontier

Author: History Hit March 30, 2026 Duration: 51:48

The Trail of Tears is one of the darkest chapters in American history: the forced removal of thousands of Native Americans from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to territories west of the Mississippi River. In this episode we focus specifically on the experiences of the Choctaw people.


In this final episode of our 'Frontier' miniseries, we are lucky to welcome Ryan Spring to take us through this story. Ryan is a Cultural Research Associate in the Historic Preservation Department of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.


Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  


All music from Epidemic Sounds.


American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Tune in twice a week as host Don Wildman digs into the stories that shaped a nation. American History Hit moves beyond textbook dates to explore the people, conflicts, and surprising events that define the American experience. Each episode is a deep dive into a different moment, whether it's the tense war preparations of Chief Powhatan, the clandestine work of codebreakers at Midway, or even the unexpected political accusations hurled by Walt Disney. You'll find that the past is never truly buried, as the series also uncovers the hidden layers beneath landmarks like New York's Central Park. This isn't just a chronicle of what happened; it's an investigation into how these echoes from pre-colonial times onward continue to resonate today. For anyone curious about the complex tapestry of the United States, this podcast from History Hit serves as an engaging and thoughtful guide, turning historical inquiry into a compelling narrative journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

American History Hit
Podcast Episodes
What was the Satanic Panic? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:30
Why were more than 12 thousand cases of satanic abuse brought in the 1980s? Was the Prince of Darkness walking among us then? Or did something else cause the panic?Joseph Laycock joins Don for this episode to discuss the…
What if the Texas Republic survived? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:32
In 1845, the Republic of Texas stood at a crossroads. In our history, they chose to join the USA… but what if they chose another path? Was this even possible? What impact would this have had on life within Texas? And how…
The Hurricane Betsy Conspiracy: New Orleans [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:56
Did New Orleans' officials bomb the levees protecting the Lower Ninth Ward in 1965?When Hurricane Betsy swept through the Atlantic Basin, it killed at least 76 people, led to a 10 foot storm surge, and was the first trop…
The Supreme Court’s WORST Ever Case: Dred Scott v Sandford [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:27
A Supreme Court decision that sent shockwaves across America. Dred Scott v Sandford, 1857. Who was the Chief Justice responsible for the decision? On what grounds did he rule that Dred Scott, and by extension all African…
Was Lee Harvey Oswald a Lone Gunman? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:09
Why not have a go at understanding one of the most famous conspiracies of the 20th Century?We will probably never get an answer for what really happened in Dallas on November 22, 1963. But in this episode, we're question…
Bleeding Kansas: Start of the Civil War? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:04
Was 'Bleeding Kansas' a dress rehearsal for the Civil War to come? During the 1850s pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers clashed in the newly created territory of Kansas. From guerrilla raids and political chaos to the…
American Origins of Halloween [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:05
How did the pre-Christian commemoration of Samhain travel across the seas from Ancient Ireland to America? And how did it evolve into the Halloween we know and love to this day?In this special spooky episode Don welcomes…
Was the American Revolution a World War? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:14
What makes a war a World War? If it's the involvement of multiple major world powers, will France, Spain and the Netherlands do?If it's battles fought globally, do Canada, West Africa, India and the Mediterranean count?…
What If George Washington Became King? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:31
‘No occurrence in the course of the war has given me more painful sensations.' This was George Washington's response when the idea of his becoming 'King' was put to him.But what if he had? What would an American royalty…
What if the Cuban Missile Crisis Sparked WW3? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:57
On October 22 1962, President John F. Kennedy announced that Soviet missiles has been discovered in Cuba. Over the following days, the fate of the Americas was on the line.In this episode, Don is joined once again by Ren…