Problems With Law and Order Flashcards
what were the new towns created by railroads known as?
hell on wheels
why did cow towns lead to lawlessness?
cowboys would often celebrate after months of hard work to get the cattle to the town - they would drink, gamble and fight
what happened to a sign banning guns in abilene?
it was shot so full of holes that it could no longer be read
who was Thomas Smith?
hired as town marshal of abilene in 1870
what did smith issue?
a ban on guns
what did smith do to cowboys who disobeyed him?
knock them out
what happened to smith?
he was shot and killed with an axe while trying to arrest a suspected murderer
who was then appointed town marshal of abilene?
wild bill hickok
why was hickok sacked?
he did little to enforce the law and spent most of his time gambling in saloons
how did the civil war cause lawlessness in the west?
arrival of large numbers of ex soldiers after the war who formed gangs
who were the reno gang?
a group of civil war deserters, co men and thieves
what did the reno gang do in 1866?
carried out a train robbery
how much money did they steal?
$16,000
who was hired to hunt down the reno gang?
the pinkerton national detective agency
when did the gang strike again?
1867 and 1868
how much money did their 4th train robbery gain them?
$96,000
what happened to the reno gang?
one member was caught and gave up the others in return for a reduced sentence - they were lynched
how did the gold rush cause lawlessness?
the development of mining towns by prospectors
what was salting a claim?
putting flakes of gold onto rocks to trick inexperienced miners into buying them
what was claim jumping?
stealing peoples claims
who was billy the kid?
an american outlaw who participated in the lincoln county war of 1878
how did the geographical location of the west cause problems with law and order?
vast and sparsely populated meaning it was easy to get away with crime
transport was very slow
what political factors encouraged lawlessness?
shortage or reliable law officers in new mining towns
politicians would not pay to employ new officers
what social conflict was there?
between ethnic groups - racism
civil war soldiers found it difficult to adjust back to normal life
conflict between southern and northern ex soldiers
