The Wild West

Question 1

How was violence reduced in Abeline?

Answer 1

Guns were banned

Question 2

Who and what year were cowboys banned from Abeline?

Answer 2

Wild Bill Hickok banned cowboys in 1872

Question 3

Why were banks easy targets for criminals?

Answer 3

Most towns had poor law enforcement, with few sheriffs and marshals, so banks were easy targets

Question 4

How was cattle rustling made more difficult?

Answer 4

Ranchers began branding their cows, however changing the brand often happened

Question 5

Where did the James-Younger Gang rob banks, stage coaches and trains?

Answer 5

Missouri, Kentucky, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas and West Virginia

Question 6

When did the James-Younger Gang start committing crimes and when did they end?

Answer 6

1866, lasted until 1876

Question 7

What did Jesse James do 3 years after the end of the James-Younger Gang?

Answer 7

Organised a new gang and renewed his criminal career

Question 8

When did Jesse James die?

Answer 8

1882

Question 9

What was Billy the Kid’s real name?

Answer 9

Either Henry McCarthy or William H Banney

Question 10

What age did Billy the Kid first kill a man?

Answer 10

18, although he may have first killed at 14

Question 11

What was Billy the Kid involved in at an early age?

Answer 11

Cattle rustling

Question 12

How did Billy the Kid gain his reputation as a top gun fighter?

Answer 12

During the Lincoln County war of 1878

Question 13

What happened to Billy the Kid in 1880?

Answer 13

He was tried and sentenced to death for the murder of Sheriff William Brady from Lincoln. He escaped jail and killed two deputies while doing so

Question 14

How many men did Billy the Kid claim to have killed, and what is the real figure thought to be?

Answer 14

21 men by his 21st birthday, thought to only really be 4 men

Question 15

What did Wyatt Earp start his career as?

Answer 15

A buffalo hunter and horse thief

Question 16

What was Wyatt Earp’s job in Wichita and what happened?

Answer 16

A lawman, but was sacked for fighting

Question 17

Where did Wyatt move after he was sacked in Wichita and what did he do?

Answer 17

Moved to Dodge City to be a Deputy Marshal

Question 18

What is Wyatt Earp most famous for?

Answer 18

Shoot out at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona in 1881. He and his brothers overcame two gangs, the Clantons and McLaurys

Question 19

What happened to Wyatt’s brother in 1882 and what did he do?

Answer 19

His brother was shot, so he hunted down and killed the man he suspected was responsible

Question 20

Why is Wild Bill Hickok famous?

Answer 20

As a scout, gunman and fighter of Indians

Question 21

How many men is Wild Bill Hickok supposed to have killed, but how many are actually known about?

Answer 21

100 men, but only 7 are known about

Question 22

Where was Wild Bill Hickok the marshal of?

Answer 22

Abeline

Question 23

Why was Wild Bill Hickok sacked as Abeline marshal?

Answer 23

He shot one of his deputies

Question 24

When and how did Wild Bill Hickok die?

Answer 24

Died in 1876 after being shot in the back of the head by a hired killer

Question 25

Why did cow towns have particularly bad reputations for crime?

Answer 25

Once a year the towns would be invaded by cowboys who would spend their wages in gambling houses and saloons, this attracted criminal types