Fort Scott National Historic Site

Fort Scott is a restored 1840s military fort that tells the story of the site's role in Westward Expansion, Bleeding Kansas, and the Civil War. The story of Fort Scott is the story of America growing up. When the fort was established in 1842, the nation was still young and confined largely to the area east of the Mississippi River. Yet within a few years, Fort Scott's soldiers became involved in events that would lead to tremendous spurts of growth and expansion. As the nation developed, tensions over slavery led to the conflict and turmoil of "Bleeding Kansas" and the Civil War.