The driving force for the Westward expansion of the early United States government was territory and with it, natural resources. This encroachment to foreign lands populated by Native Americans sparked countless bloody wars. However, there were places were these two cultures socialized in harmony and traded in peace. One such place is the Fort Union Trading Post in North Dakota.

Located at the Montana and North Dakota border, Fort Union was the most important trading posts from 1828 to 1867. Several goods exchanged hands here without needing to shed blood. Fur was the primary merchandise, but other goods were traded as well, such as beads, knives, cloth, and cookware. Early American settlers hobnobbed with various Native Americans such as Blackfeet, Cree, Crow, and other tribes. For its historic, cultural and economic importance, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961.