The American West Topic Summaries

Law and order problems in the West

GCSE > History > CCEA > GCSE History: The American West (1835-1895) > Reconstruction era (1865–1877) > Law and order problems in the West
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Key terms
  • The Civil War left many traumatised soldiers and outlaws who caused trouble as they found it difficult to return to society and were jobless.
  • Towns along the railroad, like Abilene, became notorious for lawlessness known as ‘Hell on Wheels.’ The population of Abilene grew from 500 to 7,000 after the railroad arrived.
  • Lawmen like Thomas Smith (who banned guns and gangs but was killed in 1870) and Wild Bill Hickok (who was sacked for gambling) tried to restore order, but violence and vigilantism was common.
  • To stop lawlessness, cowboys were banned from the town.
  • In 1866, the Reno Gang stole $16,000. During their fifth robbery, one member was captured and revealed their plans in exchange for a reduced sentence. A local vigilante group then moved in to arrest the gang.
  • The Pinkertons (private detectives) became famous for fighting crime.

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