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When was the Dred Scott decision was handed down?

About the Project

“Bad Blood:  The Border War that Triggered the Civil War ” is a co-production of KCPT Kansas City Public Television and Wide Awake Films.  The 90-minute documentary is about the events leading up to the Civil War along the border of Kansas and Missouri during the years of 1854 through 1861. The story is told through the eyes of Missourians & Kansans with a balanced approach to both sides of the thorny issue of slavery.  The documentary is shot entirely in high definition.

The collaboration between KCPT and Wide Awake Films (www.wideawakefilms.com) was formed after KCPT received initial funding from a grant from the Fred & Lou Hartwig Foundation.  Producers Pam Reichart and Angee Simmons approached Wide Awake Films’ owners -- Ed Leydecker, Shane Seley and Rob Hodge -- because of their immense expertise in directing and producing historical reenactments (including five original Civil War-era historical documentaries and various contributions to historical productions for the History Channel, TNT, A&E, PBS and others).

The production took over two years to create, with four major reenactments throughout 2006. Using over 200 actors, Bad Blood was shot with the help of the Shoal Creek Association in Kansas City, Missouri, the Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri Town-1855 in Jackson County.  KCPT also captured images of historical sites throughout Kansas and Missouri, as well as using some never-before-seen photographs and lithographs in the documentary. 

The production also utilizes the artistic talents of Ludwig Design and musical talents of Connie Dover and Dave Para and Cathy Barton. The completed program currently airs locally on KCPT with the hopes of being distributed nationally to PBS member stations.