How wild was the Wild West?

Who knows today where the Wild West got its name from?

Was it named this way because they wanted to indicate a still distant and untouched land yet to be discovered by the Europeans on the eastern coast?

Or could the name allude to the dangerous nature of the already populated western territories?

Well, the former seems more likely, but there's a chance for the latter as well.

Compared to the relatively stable power structures in the eastern states, conditions in the west were still quite unstable, which manifested in the weak public security. This provided fertile ground for social groups whose goals were somewhat shady.

It's no wonder then that the most infamous criminal gangs were born in this region.

It would be more surprising if the money flowing westward for investment didn't attract those with less-than-legal intentions.

The legendary stories of trains loaded with gold bars and stacks of dollars, stagecoaches filled with settlers carrying their belongings, and bank vaults created legendary figures.

Hollywood played a significant role in the continued fame of Bill Miner, Jesse James, and Butch Cassidy to this day. In their films, creators often portrayed the deeds of the charmingly depicted outlaws in a romantic, albeit less realistic manner.

  

Did you know?

Train robberies were almost never carried out as shown in the movies. There's no recorded case, for instance, of someone leaping from a horse onto a moving train to stop and hijack it.

 The established method was much more that the would-be robbers were on the train from the moment it started and acted at the right moment – this approach wasn't something developed by modern plane hijackers.

Moreover, even if they managed to stop the train, the majority of the task was still ahead: the contents of the safe compartment were nearly impossible to access without the combination, known only to the "expressman" accompanying the shipment.

Dynamite was a considerable help in this matter...

If the robbers were unsuccessful or dissatisfied with the value of the cargo, the passengers' wallets and jewelry became the next target for potential sources of income.

Did you know?
The first train robbery is commonly attributed to the James-Younger Gang, who derailed a Rock Island Railroad train in 1873 and stole $3,000. However, the real first is claimed by the Reno Gang for a robbery they committed in 1866.

Before this, there is only one recorded case from 1865 in American train robbery history, but because this was carried out by armed guerrillas right after the Civil War, it's not typically counted among events in peacetime.

Robberies during times of war aren't usually grouped together with events happening in peacetime, as it's generally accepted that actions that would otherwise be considered criminal are allowed during such times for the goals of the military.

By the way, bank robbery!

The first known incident was recorded in 1798 when $162,821 went missing from the Bank of Pennsylvania's branch (equivalent to about $1.8 million today). As there was no sign of violent intrusion, the case was classified as an "inside job."

During the American Civil War, both sides – the Unionists and the Confederates – carried out bank robberies in cities controlled by the enemy for military purposes.

These actions were also accepted during wartime, but to a lesser extent after the Civil War. Yet, there's little doubt that "professional bank robbers" couldn't give up their activities after the war, and we frequently encounter their names as the leaders of famous outlaw gangs.

Among the most infamous and popular bank robbers, we find the already mentioned Jesse James, and we shouldn't forget Willie Sutton and John Dillinger, the urban incarnations of this dubious honor.

  

Dueling could be carried out with various weapons and had strict rules. In the Wild West, from the 18th century onwards, the pistol duel became more prevalent. It was much more common and less formal than the European version.

Though Benjamin Franklin and George Washington were against this unnecessary and hazardous act even in the military, violent acts like this persisted well into the 20th century.

Did you know?
...to this day, only 20 U.S. states have laws against dueling, while in the other 30, it's theoretically allowed. In these states, only the fact of physical harm or murder is punishable.

It's true that the era of solving disputes through armed justice and the romantic veil over robberies has lifted, but the Wild West probably hasn't become any milder.

The people who took up arms and their stories remain an undeniable part of America's history...