Bad Blood: The Border War that Triggered the Civil War

Since the birth of the United States, there were competing visions of the American nation — one with and one without slavery.

In 1854, the citizens of the newly organized Kansas Territory were asked to decide for themselves whether the future state would be slave or free, and the eyes of the nation focused on Kansas and the slave state of Missouri just across its eastern border. In the minds of Americans, inhabitants of the border region came to personify the clash of perspectives, sentiments, and emotions that existed in the nation as a whole. As violence erupted on the floors of Congress, it became apparent to many that national institutions could no longer contain the conflict between slavery and free labor that had captured the attention of Americans since the nation’s inception.

Bad Blood: The Border War that Triggered the Civil War tells the story of events leading up to the Civil War along the border of Kansas and Missouri through the eyes of Missourians & Kansans, with a balanced approach to both sides of the thorny issue of slavery.

A co-production of KCPT and Wide Awake Films

Missouri

Bates County
Bates Co. Museum of Pioneer History
Bates County Historical Society, Butler

Boone County
Missouri State Historical Society, Columbia
Centralia Historical Society, Centralia
Boone County Historical Museum, Columbia

Buchanan County
Saint Joseph Historical Society, St. Joseph
Saint Joseph Museum, St. Joseph

Cass County
Cass County Historical Society – Harrisonville

Clay County
Watkinís Mill, Lawson
James Country Mercantile, Liberty
Clay County Museum and Historical Society, Liberty
Jesse James Farm, Kearney

Cole County
Museum of Missouri Military History, Jefferson City
Cooper
First Battle of Booneville – Booneville

Jackson
Morgan Walker Raid, Blue Springs
Missouri Town 1855 (Living History Museum), Lees Summit
Lone Jack Battlefield Museum, Lone Jack
Frontier Trails Museum, Independence
Jackson Co. Historical Society, Independence
Little Dixie Book Shop, Independence
1409 Grand Ave (site of Womenís Jail), Kansas City
Westport Historical Society, Kansas City
Wornall House, Kansas City
Kansas City Museum, Kansas City
Shoal Creek Living History, Kansas City

Jasper County 
Civil War Museum, Carthage

Lafayette County 
Lafayette County Historical Society, Higginsville
Confederate Memorial Cemetery & History Site – Quantrill Gravesite, Higginsville
Battle of Lexington & Friends of the Anderson House, Lexington

Platte County 
Platte County Historical Society, Platte City
Weston

Saline County
Arrow Rock Living History, Arrow Rock
Marshall

St. Louis Area 
Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis
Jefferson Barracks Historic Site / Missouri Civil War Museum, Wildwood

Vernon County
Bushwacker Museum, Nevada

Kansas

Anderson County
Anderson Co. Historical Society, Garnett
Gerth Cabin, Greeley

Atchison County
Atchison

Bourbon County
Osaga Historical Society, Fulton
Fort Bain – Bourbon County
Fort Scott National Historic Site, Ft. Scott

Douglas County
Territorial Capitol/Lane Museum, Lecompton
Constitution Hall State Historic Site, Lecompton
Black Jack Battlefield, Baldwin
Old Castle Museum, Baldwin City
Watkins Musuem, Lawrence
Clinton Lake Museum & Underground Railroad, Lawrence

Franklin County
Franklin County Dietrich Cabin Incident (Pottawotomie Massacre), Ottawa

Jackson County
Battle of the Spurs, Jackson County
Jackson County Historical Society, Holton

Jefferson County
Battle of Hickory Point, Jefferson County

Johnson County
Johnson County Historical Society/ Johnson County Museum, Shawnee
Mahaffie Farm, Olathe
Gardner Historical Museum, Gardner
Shawnee Indian Mission, Kansas City

Leavenworth County
Leavenworth Frontier Army Museum, Leavenworth

Linn County
Marais des Cygnes Massacre State Historic Site, Pleasanton
Mound City Historic Park, Mound City
Linn County Museum, Pleasanton
Trading Post Museum, Linn County
Battle of Mine Creek, Linn County

Miami County
John Brown Museum State Historic Site, Osawotomie
Battle of Osawatomie, Osawotomie
Osawatomie Historical Museum, Osawotomie
Miami Historical Society, Paola

Montgomery County
Montgomery County Museum, Tulsa

Nemaha County
The Lane Trail (Underground Railroad), Nemaha County

Riley County
First Territorial Capitol State Historic Site Beecher Bible Church, Ft. Riley
Goodnow House State Historic Site, Manhattan

Production

Wide Awake Films

Shoal Creek Association
Missouri Town 1855
Lights On
Have Guns Will Rent
Robert Szabo, Wet Plate Photographer
Maupins Performance Horses & Furrier Service
MidWest Performance Riders

Music

Adapted, arranged and produced by Connie Dover and co-Produced by Clayton Stubbs
Connie Dover: vocals, piano, field organ
Doug Goodhart: fiddle, viola de gamba
Mason Brown: banjo, guitar, bass viol
Kelly Werts: fiddle, guitar, mandolin, spoons
Matthew Johnson: cello

Historians

Nicole Etcheson , Alexander M. Bracken Professor of History, Ball State University
Jonathon Earle
Dr. Diane Mutti Burke

Education

UMKC School of Education/Continuing Education Division
UMKC History Department
State Historical Society of Missouri & Western Historical Manuscripts
Shawnee Mission School District
Hickman Mills School District
Wide Awake Films
Incognita
Social Studies Council of Kansas
Missouri State Social Studies Council
Handmark
Garmin Industries