In this episode of pplpod, we traverse the complicated life of Christopher "Kit" Carson, a man who rose from an illiterate runaway apprentice to become the defining symbol of the American frontier,. We discuss his early years trapping beaver in the Rockies and how his role as a guide for John C. Frémont’s expeditions accidentally catapulted him to national fame,. You’ll hear how Carson became the unwilling hero of exaggerated dime novels, which transformed a quiet, stoop-shouldered man into a fictional "Indian slayer",,.

We also confront the darker chapters of his legacy that have turned his historical reputation from hero to villain in the eyes of many. We examine his service during the Civil War and his brutal "scorched earth" campaign against the Navajo, which forced thousands onto the tragic "Long Walk" to Bosque Redondo,,. Join us as w ...