Billy the Kid

• Billy the Kid (aka William H. Bonney)


  A famous outlaw in the West
• Billy the Kid's background

  1. Grew up in mining camps in New Mexico

  2. Became involved in horse theft and cattle rustling
• Billy the Kid got involved in the Lincoln County War

  1878
• Billy the Kid's side lost the Lincoln County War


  He swore he would kill everyone who was to blame for the death of one of his friends
• Billy the Kid and his gang

  • Had hideouts all around the county
  • Were notorious for breaking out of jails - the justice system was too weak to deal with him
• Pat Garrett

  A new sheriff given the task of bringing Billy to justice
• Billy the Kid's fate

  1. Caught by Garrett and sentenced to death

  2. Made a dramatic escape from jail

  3. Tracked down and killed by Garrett at Fort Sumner in 1881
• Many newspapers and books portrayed Billy as an exciting and romantic figure. People liked how he stood up to the big businessmen who dominated the West.