Wikimedia Commons/Alfred Waud
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The Kaintucks’ Perilous 500-Mile Walk Home
The Natchez Trace once saw an army of men called “Kaintucks” risk it all for profit. From 1781, these tough boatmen built flat-bottomed boats for $75 that could haul $3,000 in goods down the Mississippi.
After selling in New Orleans, they faced a brutal 500-mile walk home with gold in their pockets. The trip took 35 days on foot through wild forests where bandits like Samuel Mason lurked at every turn…