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The secret society of the Great Dismal Swamp - Dan Sayers

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Straddling Virginia and North Carolina is an area that was once described as the “most repulsive of American possessions.” By 1728, it was known as the Great Dismal Swamp. But while many deemed it uninhabitable, recent findings suggest that a hidden society persisted in the Swamp until the mid-1800’s. So, who lived there? And what happened to them? Dan Sayers uncovers a lost civilization.


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About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Dan Sayers
  • Director Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Music Cem Misirlioglu
  • Sound Designer Cem Misirlioglu
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Script Editor Iseult Gillespie
  • Editorial Producer Cella Wright
  • Fact-Checker Jennifer Nam
    • See more creators
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Visit Internet Archive for more information about the subject of Historical Archeology. Read this article and this article about the Great Dismal Swamp and its people. Landscape of Power and Escape to the Great Dismal Swamp are films that dive into this topic more. 99% Invisible did a podcast episode about the Great Dismal Swamp, which you can find here. You can learn more about Native Americans from Virginia here and Marronage in the US here. To understand the Great Dismal Swamp in the context of slavery, watch this TED-Ed lesson and this video.

Customize This Lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Dan Sayers
  • Director Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Music Cem Misirlioglu
  • Sound Designer Cem Misirlioglu
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Script Editor Iseult Gillespie
  • Editorial Producer Cella Wright
  • Fact-Checker Jennifer Nam
    • See more creators

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