Road of Conquest

This episode focuses on the challenges and complications faced by the US Army to secure the Santa Fe Trail leading up to and during the US-Mexico War (1846-1848). Following along with the insecurities, pressures, and personalities involved, we trace how the trail gradually, then suddenly, transformed from an international trade corridor to a military supply road. It's a story intimately tied in with the violent saga of westward expansion, the US invasion of Mexico, and the series of wars against Indigenous peoples along the route.

Written and narrated by: Mathias Smith

Producer and Engineer: Kyle Jackson

Theme Song: Fog Holler

Additional Musical Elements: Fog Holler, Casey James Holmberg, Kyle Jackson, Kate Bone