Problems of law and order

Question 1

How did the American civil war have a significant impact on lawlessness?

Answer 1

• Young men from the defeated southern states often resented the victorious US government and its laws
• Large numbers of young men had been traumatised by the experience of the war and found it hard to fit in to “regular society”
• the war devastated the south’s economy, leaving many without jobs

Question 2

what was “hell on wheels”

Answer 2

new towns created by the railroads in the West

Question 3

Why were “cow towns” the most lawless railroad towns of all?

Answer 3

because cowboys who had just been paid after weeks driving cattle enjoyed drinking and fighting

Question 4

what was “hell on wheels” towns notorious for?

Answer 4

gambling, heavy drinking and prostitution

Question 5

what did cowboy pay-day celebrations attract?

Answer 5

soloons and brothels to the towns; along with gamblers, swindlers, prosititutes and outlaws

Question 6

How did Abilene’s ( a cow town) population boom and why was this bad?

Answer 6

it bommed from 500 to 7,000 once railroad reached it in 1867 which lead lawlessness to boom too

Question 7

In 1870, who did Abilene appoint as town marshal?

Answer 7

Thomas Smith

Question 8

What did Thomas smith do?

Answer 8

he issued a ban on carrying guns and established a forceful reputation, using his boxing skills to knock out cowboys who disobeyed - this enforced the law quite successfully

Question 9

When and how did Thomas smith die?

Answer 9

Novemeber 1870 he was shot and then killed with an axe while trying to arrest a suspected murder

Question 10

Who did Abielene appoint after Thomas smith and when?

Answer 10

Bill Hickok in april 1871

Question 11

How effective was Bill Hickok at enforcing the law?

Answer 11

• commanded fear and respect among the cowboys
• did very little to enforce the law, spent all his time gambling in the saloons
• by the end of the year the town leaders sacked him.

Question 12

What did the town leaders after sacking Bill Hickok decide to do.

Answer 12

they decieded to stop the cowboys and their herds from coming to the town

Question 13

Trains replaced stagecoaches for transporting valuables. This made them a target for what?

Answer 13

train robberies

Question 14

What was the reno gang?

Answer 14

a group of civil war deserters, con-men and thieves who terrorised communitites in the West.
They also bribed local law officers to avoid arrest

Question 15

What did the Reno Gang do?

Answer 15

In 1866, they carried out a train robbery, breaking open a safe to get away with $16,000

Question 16

What did the owners of the safe that was robbed by the Reno Gang do?

Answer 16

they hired detectives from the Pinketon National Detective agency to hunt down the gang - they caught John Reno

Question 17

What was the Pinketon National Detective agency

Answer 17

a private dective company which were used extensively in the West to track down outlaws and bring them to justice

Question 18

How did the railroads and electric telegragh lead to an overall increase in federal government influence?

Answer 18

improved communication between law officers

Question 19

Gangs of outlaws who were too powerful to control, intimidated ………

Answer 19

whole communities into supporting them