Outlaws and Lawmen: Crime and Punishment in the 1800s

Since I really knew very little about how our crime and punishment system came into being in the United States, I found this book very informative.

The first part deals with the years 1800-1834.  In the 1700’s most crimes were punished by public ridicule.  The use of stocks, where people were publically on display in village greens, was common as were hangings for more serious crimes.

The religious influence of the Quakers changed the public displays to “houses” where criminals were separated from society and each other and placed in solitary confinement to contemplate their crimes.

When huge influxes of immigrants arrived in NYC due to the potato famine in Ireland, gangs formed to avoid persecution.  By 1850, police were formed to try to control the rising violence.

By the 1860’s political corruption- buying off the police, controlling the courts, etc. had sprung up. “The appearance of the law must be upheld, especially while it’s being broken.”

Meanwhile, in the West—especially Texas--large groups of settlers needed protection. Rangers were formed. Their duty was to protect the new settlers from Native Americans and to deal with cattle thieves.

The second period of the book deals with the years 1838-1865. Many crimes in this period revolved around slavery.  The Civil War would rage for four years before some disputes would be settled.

The third part of the book deals with outlaws in the Wild West from 1867-1889.   Greed for gold, land, or cattle proved to be the real cause of crime in the West.
Primary source documents help the reader see how both outlaws and lawmen operated at that time.

This book scratches the surface on crime and punishment in the 1800’s, but does provide a vehicle for understanding the time period.