According to mythology, the American Frontier or Old West brought the cultural heritage of violence, which still reflects today. In contrast, to an actual historical context, the civil society of the Old West in the 19th century was not violent. It was a far more peaceful, safe and civilized place than the present American society. During the old times, there were no government or law enforcement agencies to protect civil and property rights. Therefore, the lawmen, cowboys and outlaws looked after the rivalries and conflicts. As they could harm the civilians and their settlements.
The legendary gunslingers may be sung in history as heroes but they were atrocious to mankind. They made their name by being proficient gamblers, killers or gunfighters. Their stories are a lesson, how hard life was for the tribes and people in the American Frontier. They may have tried hard to make it easy, some of them were victors but most of them were defeated, as they met their unfortunate fate. Nonetheless, they were involved in showdowns only to save their people and help them survive the extremes of violence in the Wild West.
We’ll delve into ten outstanding individuals who left an indelible mark on the Old West:
10) John King Fisher:
Source: Wikipedia
John King Fisher was born in 1853 in Dallas, Texas. He worked as a cowboy, breaking horses but soon became involved in rebel activities due to raid culture across Texas ranch communities. His life was marked with bloodshed and violent clashes against Mexican cowboys. He killed them with his exceptional skills. This incident gained him fame and attention.
In 1884, Fisher and his friend got involved in a quarrel that escalated into a brawl. This resulted in Fisher’s death, as he couldn’t survive deep wounds. His exceptional gunplay and violent defense combined made him an icon in the history of the Wild West.
9) Bass Reeves:
Source: Wikipedia
Bass Reeves was born in the era of slavery in Arkansas in 1848. Most of the whereabouts of life are unknown. According to some historians, he even attacked his owner and escaped. He was the most ruthless gunslinger in the Wild West.
He was loyal to the Wild West and honored his people but his nature was reckless. He killed several renegades and captured over thousands including his son. His victories were mindblowing. After his retirement, he later became a police officer in Oklahoma due to his heroism.
8) Jesse James:
Source: Wikipedia
Jesse James was born in 1847 in Missouri. His remarkable achievement was that he led a gang of thieves against civilian abolitionists. He followed many pro-confederates and fought against them for freedom. This notorious act made him a folk hero for his people.
Despite his rebellious and ruthless nature, he was charismatic which earned him admiration. He called his gang named as James-Younger Gangs. He was involved in the most notable heists of many famous banks. Unfortunately, one member of his gang shot him dead in 1882. This marked the end of the era of the Old West.
7) Thomas Horn:
Source: Wikipedia
Thomas Horn was born in 1860. He was a skilled lawman who gained notorious fame for his role in the “Lincoln County War” in Mexico. His willingness to break the law and rules made him a rebellious figure. Horn was later convicted of the murder of a 14-year-old with no evidence, which troubled his reputation and contributed to his downfall in the heroic history of the Wild West.
Today, the story of Thomas remains a mystery reflecting on brutal violence. The civilians had to endure many atrocities for their freedom.
6) James Miller:
Source: Wikipedia
James Miller was born in 1861, in Arkansas. He was a notorious outlaw. His violence streak marks his lineage of killing brothers-in-law in a brawl. Later, he took the life of a lawman in Texas. The series of similar events turned him into a professional assassin.
In 1909, Miller was arrested for killings and assassinations. This led to the hanging of Miller and three other cohorts marking his brazen attitude to face death.
5) Wyatt Earp:
Source: Wikipedia
Wyatt Earp was a legendary figure born in 1848, in Illinois. He was a famous gambler in towns like Dodge City and Tombstone. He is best known for his role in O.K Corral Gunfight in 1881. His brother Virgil, played an important part in his. His violence was marked by the killings of more than thirty lawmen. His violence and iconic gunfight gave him an inspiring Hollywood portrayal in pop culture.
4) Bill Hickok:
Source: Wikipedia
Bill Hickok was born in 1837, in Illinois. He had the spirit of a true American frontier lawman. His life was versatile as he had worked as a soldier, gambler, scout, showman and gunslinger. He was involved in numerous gunfights which gained the attention of his fellow civilians who named him “Folk Hero”.
He died by the shot of Jack McCall during a five-card stud in 1876. Many countless adaptations of his personality are portrayed in pop culture.
3) William H. Boney aka Billy The Kid:
Source: Wikipedia
Billy The Kid was the most notorious outlaw born in New York. His interests led him to drift life towards robbery and lawlessness. This made him join some dangerous gangs committing crimes. He participated in the Lincoln County Cattle War. Billy was sentenced to hang in 1881 but he escaped the jail and killed deputies and caused a brawl. Unfortunately, he couldn’t live long as Garrett ambushed and shot him dead.
2) John Wesley Hardin:
Source: Wikipedia
John Hardin was born in 1853, in Texas. He was an infamous outlaw and gunfighter. His skilled shooting expertise made him famous in the Wild West. Hardin had strong racial neutrality towards anti-Black and anti-Yankee.
At the age of 15, he first killed an ex-slave having blood on his hands. This led him to get involved in violence, gambling and blood-shed. He was arrested in Florida and sentenced to 25 years in prison in 1877. Unfortunately, after completing his sentence he couldn’t live long as he was shot dead by one of the rivals.
1) Annie Oakley:
Source: Wikipedia
Annie Oakley was born in 1860, in Ohio. Being a woman in the world of men’s gunslingers, she was the most legendary and powerful gunslinger in the 19th century. At only the age of 8, she exhibited her marksmanship by shooting squirrels. Instead of diverting her skills into warfare and violence, she used them for the goodwill of her family. By hunting and selling the games, she supported her family’s financial interests. At only the age of 15, she became a champion by defeating Frank Butler. Her exceptional talent earned her the respect of Chief Sitting Bull and he gave her the title of “Little Sure Shot.”
She trained females for sharpshooting and offered the McKinley Company to recruit 50 of them for the threat of war in 1898. Her outstanding skills gained her the title of a true icon in the American Frontier.
Conclusion
The Old West has a lawless history. There was no enforcement and constitution. Only lawmen and outlaws existed. They pursued survival through gambling, shooting and bloodshed. Without this, survival would have been very difficult and history would not be able to mark the lineage of the Wild West in today’s era.
