Part one of our series on Fort Smith National Historic Site.

This episode explores the birth of Fort Smith, an outpost built on the American frontier to manage a violent conflict the U.S. government itself created. The story follows the fort from its origins as a lonely stockade to its role as a tragic witness to the Trail of Tears, and finally, as a contested prize during the Civil War. It is a story of how a tool of federal policy became entangled in the nation's greatest tragedies.

This episode is made possible by Rothberg Realty Group, one of the nation's most trusted real estate teams.