Continuing Problems with Law and Order Starter: What did crime look like in the west? Challenge: Why was it like this?

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid grew up in mining camps in New Mexico. He never held down a steady job and got into trouble as a teenager for theft. He started cattle rustling and horse stealing. He became notorious for be able to escape from jails. In 1878, there was a war in Lincoln County between cattle baron John Chisum, who had a huge ranch in New Mexico, and settlers desperate for land. A rancher called Murphy supported the settlers, and conflict broke out between the two sides. Billy the Kid fought with Murphy. The Lincoln County war ended when Murphy was killed, but Billy swore to kill everyone he held responsible for his friend’s death during the fighting. He and his gang had a lot of hideouts across New Mexico and a lot of support from local Mexicans. Local ranchers asked the president to end the violence in New Mexico. He appointed a new governor and a new sheriff whose job was to bring Billy justice: Pat Garrett. Garrett tracked Billy down, captured him and brought him to court. The judge sentenced him to death, but the guards at the jail were careless and Billy made a dramatic, murderous escape. Garrett tracked him down again to Fort Sumner and shot him dead.

Why was he so significant? Although Billy the Kid was a notorious thief and a murderer, he was seen as an exciting, reckless, romantic figure (written by Pat Garett) Newspapers and cheap novels told and retold his story. He was significant for three reasons: Powerless people (the poor, ethnic minorities, small homesteaders and ranchers) liked the was he stood against the big businessmen. Most of his involvement in violence was as a hired gun in a war between cattle barons and those who dared challenge them. The justice system was too weak and corrupt to deal with Billy and his gang.

Wyatt Earp and the OK Corral (1881) In the cow towns, cowboys spent their money drinking, dancing, gambling and prostitutes. This wasn’t approved of by visiting businessmen who were there to make money. The businessmen wanted sheriffs and marshals to keep order in the towns. Wyatt Earp is probably the best known of these men. Task – read Wyatt Earp: Key Events. Underline key information.

Range Wars: The Johnson County War What? Armed conflicts over control of land in the West. The best known conflict was the Johnson County War. This was a conflict between the cattle barons on one side, and the homesteaders and small ranchers on the other. Why? In the 1870s huge cattle ranchers developed in Wyoming. The big ranchers, and their wealthy investors, had a lot of power in the area as judges and politicians. The ‘Great Die-Up’ in the winter of 1886/87 caused them to lose a lot of cattle, and this undermined their power in the area. Small ranchers didn’t suffer so much that winter – the big ranchers suspected they had been stealing their cattle. Cattle rustling was a big problem. Even thought the big ranchers had a lot of power, ordinary homesteaders were tired of them controlling everything, so juries never convicted someone accused of stealing from the big ranches. This led to the big ranches taking the law into their own hands… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BITxQJ8LG5E

Key Event #1 Ella Watson and Jim Averill were hanged by rancher Albert Bothwell for refusing to sell their land to him. Ella was accused of cattle rustling, and Jim Averill for insulting Bothwell in a newspaper. Other killings followed – three ranch owners were left dead.

Key events #2 Homesteaders responded by setting up their own association in 1892 and held their own round up a month before the WSGA’s (Wyoming’s Stock Growers Association) – this meant they could claim all the unbranded new calves for themselves. The WSGA had had enough and launched an armed invasion of the country (with the governor’s knowledge) to kill 70 men who ‘should due for the good of the county’. Gunmen were hired and offered bonuses for every rustler they killed. They were brought in by a special train laid on by the Pacific Railroad Company.

The invasion failed. Word reached the local sheriff of what was happening and 40 men went after the invaders. Residents of Buffalo, the main town, also joined the resistance. The invaders held back the residents until the army came to save them. The Trial The invaders had very powerful friends. The WSGA were taken to court but the trial was moved out of Johnson County. The WSGA kept extending the trial until Johnson County ran out of money and the charges against the invaders were dropped. The Significance Vigilante justice was a major part of solving problems in law and order. What is surprising in this case is that so many people thought it was wrong! Tensions reduced when farmers and ranchers fenced off their land.

Learning Tasks All Read the extract on Wyatt Earp – underline/highlight key pieces of information. Collect your worksheet on the Johnson County Wars, complete this using the information in the textbook!

Johnson County Wars Importance for Law and Order Event Cause Importance for Homesteaders