Dan Sayers: The secret society of the Great Dismal Swamp

The secret society of the Great Dismal Swamp

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. [Directed by Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Cem Misirlioglu].

The Great Dismal Swamp, once dismissed as uninhabitable, sheltered a thriving secret community until the mid-1800s. Archaeologists uncovered remnants of log cabins, fire pits, and over 3,000 artifacts, revealing life deep within the swamp. For centuries, Black Maroons and Indigenous Americans built a self-reliant society, escaping slavery and colonization by vanishing into this unforgiving wilderness. Their story shows how freedom and independence can flourish even in the harshest conditions.