The story of Fort Scott is the story of America growing up. When the fort was first established in 1842, the nation was still young, just entering its adolescence and was confined largely to the area east of the Mississippi River. Yet within a few years, the soldiers of Fort Scott became involved in events that would lead to tremendous spurts of growth and expansion as the country spread westward to the Pacific. As the nation developed, it experienced growing pains. Increased tensions over slavery led to the conflict and turmoil of "Bleeding Kansas" and the Civil War. Fort Scott takes you through these years of crisis and beyond to the time when the United States emerged into maturity as a united, transcontinental nation.
