From the birth of the Constitution to the edge of the Western frontier, explore how America's oldest federal law enforcement agency helped shape the nation’s powers, boundaries, and identity.

In Search of the U.S. Marshals chronicles the first century of America’s oldest federal law enforcement officers—men tasked with turning the fragile ideals of the Constitution into enforceable law.

Created with the establishment of the role of U.S. Marshal under the Judiciary Act of 1789, these officers quickly became the living instruments of federal authority—enforcing congressional statutes, executing presidential orders, and carrying out judicial rulings, often amid fierce conflict between the branches of government they served.

As the republic expanded, marshals carried federal power into a volatile and divided nation: conducting the first national census, quelling frontier insurrections, enforcing controversial laws such as the Fugitive Slave Acts and the Chinese Exclusion Act, and standing at the center of constitutional crises where their authority—and the reach of federal law itself—was tested in cases like Worcester v. Georgia and Ex parte Merryman.

Beyond the courtrooms and capitals, marshals rode into the unsettled territories of the West, policing immigration, safeguarding neutrality, and confronting violence in a landscape where the line between law and survival was often perilously thin.

By the end of the 19th century, the marshals stood at another crossroads—summoned not just to enforce federal mandates, but to mediate the deepening tensions between labor, capital, and a rapidly transforming American society.

Created with the participation of the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Marshals Museum, In Search of the U.S. Marshals explores the evolution of the marshal’s office as an instrument of federal power, charting its role in balancing the ideals of constitutional governance against the limits of law enforcement.

Contributing Scholars and Historians

David S. Turk has served as Historian of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) since October 2001—the second to hold this position. He is the author of seven books, including Forging the Star: The Official Modern History of the United States Marshals Service (2016) and Here Lies Billy the Kid (2019). In addition, he penned articles for numerous journals and magazines, including Police Chief and Wild West.

David Kennedy is the curator of the U.S. Marshals Museum, Fort Smith, Arkansas. Mr. Kennedy has spent most of his adult life studying and working with the history of the American West and firearms in a museum environment. During his tenure as the curator of the Cody Firearms Museum, he authored Guns of the Wild West: A Photographic Tour of the Guns that Shaped our Country’s History.

Bill O'Neal served a six-year tenure (2012–2018) as State Historian of Texas following his appointment by Governor Rick Perry. Bill is the author of almost 50 non-fiction books, along with 300 articles and book reviews. He has appeared on TV documentaries on The History Channel, The Learning Channel, TBS, CMT, A&E, and The American Heroes Channel.

Mark Boardman is the Editor of The Tombstone Epitaph, the oldest newspaper in Arizona, and Features Editor of True West Magazine. He's been heavily involved in the Old West field for nearly 25 years—although he was introduced to it by watching The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp with his dad when he was very, very young. He lives in Indiana, where he serves as a United Methodist minister.

Judge Jim Spears is a former Division 3 judge of the Twelfth Circuit serving Sebastian County in Arkansas. He was first elected to the position in 1992. He served until his retirement in December 2016. Spears received an associate degree from Westark Junior in 1966 before earning an undergraduate degree at Arkansas Tech University in 1968. He earned his J.D. at the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1973.

Robert Ernst was a retired law enforcement officer and historian who authored the book Deadly Affrays, which chronicles the casualties of the U.S. Marshals while in the line of duty.

Robert K. DeArment was a University of Toledo, Ohio graduate whose field of interest is nineteenth-century American history with special emphasis on outlaws and law enforcement in the frontier West. He authored Bat Masterson: The Man and the Legend and the three-volume Deadly Dozen: Forgotten Gunfighters of the Old West published by the University of Oklahoma Press.

About the Director

Dana Celeste Robinson is a historian, documentarian, and former adjunct professor of history at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. She holds a PhD in Medieval Studies from Royal Holloway, University of London. She is the co-writer and director of In Search of Doc Holliday (2016), and the writer-director of In Search of Bass Reeves (2024) and In Search of the U.S. Marshals (2025). She has also worked with the Smithsonian Channel.

• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 3.5 ounces
• Director ‏ : ‎ Dana Celeste Robinson
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, NTSC, DVD
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours
• Release date ‏ : ‎ December 23, 2025
• Actors ‏ : ‎ David Turk, David Kennedy, Bill O'Neal, Mark Boardman, Judge Jim Spears
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Knox Robinson Films
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1