American Burial Ground with Sarah Keyes

The Extreme History Project: The Dirt on the Past

We talked with Historian Sarah Keyes about her new book, "American Burial Ground: A New History of the Overland Trail." We delve into the history of the Overland Trail, discussing the 6,600 migrants who perished along the treacherous journey westward, their final resting places often marking the landscape of Indigenous land. Keyes' explains how the graves of these migrants emerge not just as tragic markers of a treacherous journey but as pivotal sites that shaped the course of U.S. expansion into the West. With death at the forefront, the Overland Trail transforms from a tale of triumph to one of profound struggle, where Indigenous resilience and resistance intersect with white settlers' ambitions. Keyes' reimagining of this historic touchstone challenges conventional narratives, revealing a complex history of migration, dispossession, and the indelible imprint of death on the American landscape. We highlight two artifacts from the Museum of the Rockies collection including a spur, that possible belonged to trailblazer, John Bozeman and a Log Cabin design quilt made before the Civil War and transported west to Montana Territory by the Lucy Nave Tinsley family. Join us for this important conversation. To purchase a copy of American Burial Ground, follow this link. https://www.pennpress.org/9781512824513/american-burial-ground/.