Lawlessness/Cattle Industry

• Federal Government


  • Population of 60,000 - could apply to be a state
  • Had its own legal systems, laws and government
  • In each territory, there was a governor (who was in charge overall), 3 judges (who heard court cases) and a US Marshal (oversaw law and order)
• Sheriffs


  • Elected in communities where there were 5,000+ people
  • No legal training
  • Their role was to calm people down and break up fights
  • Struggled to maintain order as the areas they were in charge of were too big – sometimes up to 200,000km
• Mining Towns


  • Often fairly small - didn't have access to legal systems (courts, judges etc.)
  • Everyone in the community would meet to discuss the rules that they should all follow
  • If anyone broke these rules, they would be sent to a court (which the towns created themselves)
• Vigilantes


  • Many people believed that the courts were corrupt
  • They took the law into their own hands
  • Captured those they suspected of committing crimes and then punished them
• Billy the Kid


  • An outlaw (involved in robbery and cattle rustling)
  • Involved in the Lincoln County War – Cattle barons vs. Regulators
  • Arrested by Sheriff Pat Garrett and charged with murder
  • Escaped but was later shot by Garrett
• Wyatt Earp


  • Previously arrested for rustling but fled
  • Deputy Marshal & Marshal
  • Hired by a rich businessman in Tombstone and became a Marshal here
  • Earp and his brothers killed three men who were accused of cattle rustling and other crimes at OK Corral
• Johnson County War


  1. Homesteaders in Johnson County felt that cattle barons were stealing their land

  2. Cattle barons felt that homesteaders were rustling their cattle

  3. Vigilantes who worked for the powerful cattle barons dealt out 'justice'

  4. The WSGA (cattle barons) paid 22 Texan gunmen to kill a number of homesteaders/smaller ranchers

  5. This led to a shootout at KC Ranch. Two alleged rustlers e.g. Nate Champion were killed

  6. 250 locals surrounded the gunmen in Buffalo. The WSGA had influence within the government and call on the army to rescue the gunmen

  7. There were no prosecutions. Yet, the barons lost their power and influence over time and led to the end of the open range in Wyoming
• Growth of the Cattle Industry


  • Price of beef in North/East (1865)
  • Goodnight-Loving Trail (1866)
  • Cow towns e.g. Abilene (1867)
  • Open Range (1870)
  • Barbed wire (1874)
  • Refrigerated rail cars (1875)
• Demand had fallen


  In the Northern / Eastern states, beef was so plentiful that shops had to lower their prices for it
• Overstocking


  Put a lot of pressure on the soil, often damaging it
• The 'Great Die Up' (1886-7)

  Temperatures dropped to -55°C. Due to the deep snow, cattle couldn't reach the grass – thousands died. At least 15% of open range herds perished and many cattlemen went bankrupt