lawlessness

• how did a lack of police increase lawlessness?

  federal government was in the east meaning they couldn't police the west leading to no law
• how did a vigilantes increase lawlessness?

  they took law and order into their own hands with swift punishment such as lynching with unofficial trails and they were feared so it did help but added to lawlessness.
• what is lynching?

  being hung with no trail
• how did gold discovery increase lawlessness?

  increased migration west which led to more drinking, gambling and violence in bars
• how did murder increase lawlessness?

  mining camps set up quickly with their own laws making murder common upon them
• how did racial conflict increase lawlessness?

  migration from Europe and china of people trying to get land. They were not seen as good witnesses in a court (Chinese)
• how did claim jumping increase lawlessness?

  claiming land as your own by stealing it from others
• how did salting a claim increase lawlessness?

  lying there was gold on the land by sprinting gold flakes on the surface to trick people into buying the land for a high price causing conflicts when people realised it was scam
• what was the response of mining camps to lawlessness?

  • agreed on rules that would govern camp
  • a recorder recorded all claims said and who made them
  • created their own court with a respected community member chosen to judge
• what was the response of federal government to lawlessness?

  • decided the laws for each territory
  • could apply to become a state when it has 60,000 people. Then it could have its own government, laws and legal system
  • each territory has a governor, 3 judges and a us marshall
• what was the response of US marshals to lawlessness?

  • responsible for law enforcement in a territory
  • marshals could appoint deputies to help
  • could order any man to join a posse to hunt criminals
• what was the response of vigilantes to lawlessness?

  • captured and tried criminals if found guilty
  • spread rapidly to deal with horse thiefs and swindlers
  • not always fair and guilt was sometimes decided before captured
  • some were as bad as the criminals they hung
  • hung suspects as warnings to other members of camps
• what was the response of sheriffs to lawlessness?

  • once a population of 5000 was reached a sheriff could be appointed
  • has similar powers to a US marshal but only for a county
  • chosen for their ability to calm people down and break up fights as they had no legal training
• stagecoach and bank robberies:

  • James-younger gang carried out many bank robberies between 1866-1882
• lawless railroad towns:

  • gunfights and murders were common
  • law enforcement struggled to keep control
  • cowboys tore down jails and signs banning guns were shot up
• who caught train robbers?

  Pinkerton Detective Agency
• why were the Pinkerton detective agency lawless?

  not government enforced and lynched criminals like vigilantes
• what did the federal government allow?

  territories to form local governments