Why are the outlaws of the old West regarded as heroes, when they were really just common criminals?

Question

Why do we celebrate their "exploits" when they were just common run of the mill criminals and murderers?

Answer 1

Many of them did a great deal of good for people or at least had reputations for being champions for the helpless. The Wild West was a place and time where law was less defined and not terribly just. The Government was trying to reign in a chaotic population and make them accountable citizens. At times this new control was opressive to those who had fled from society or were raised by those who did. It could be easy to admire those who fought against the system in those circumstances.

Answer 2

It seems they were glamorized in cowboy films and such which still occurs today. I myself have visited the Jesse James wax museum as a child I remember, I think it was in Stanton Missouri if I remember correctly. My theory is that back in those days without TV and radio the only way news traveled was by telegraph , word of mouth and small local newspapers . Common people were probably just not felt as news worthy as the criminal elements and people have a fascination for making a quick easy buck such as lotto winners do today but without the criminal element . Some of the people who met up with such characters as Jessie James and other notorious outlaws may have found them to be loose spenders who would squander the money they stole and reap some of the benefits of this and portray them as an individual that treated them well personally. Back then since many stories were passed by word of mouth , we know that when stories are told and retold they become quite different from the original tales . I think that most likely this is the primary reason criminals became bigger than life characters . I've also heard in later history gangsters such as Al Capone were looked upon by some in their local area as good people because they would occasionally tip well or throw a few bucks to someone in need of help . Things get blown out of proportion over time.

Answer 3

During the old west days I am sure more of these guys were thought to be criminals. In many cases, the law did go after these guys and at times did away with them. It is in today's world many of them have been romanticized. Many of these characters were actually hated by the general population. Today we view a particular aspect of the character, e.g., fast with a gun, great card shark, daring, wily and cunning. It is only these aspects that are admired and the person becomes mythologized.

Answer 4

The history of the west is very confusing. Some of the wild towns like Tombstone and Deadwood hire people who were good with a gun to be the sheriff. Some of these men were outlaws. They were able to keep the peace and run out other outlaws.

Answer 5

We have the same situation with the Bushrangers of pioneering days in Australian history. Figures like Ned Kelly are treated as heroes, much in the same vain as Jesse James and co, for the US.
I think it is important to remember, despite them being outlaws, life was hard, and often sheer survivalism was the only way. Also in early days on frontiers, often the law was oppressive and tyranical, and not neccessarily just. If someone, such as Kelly stood up to tyrants who mistreated the general populace, and imposed oppressive taxes, then they would be loved as heroes....

Answer 6

Unimaginative TV script writers. Could not come up with anything else. And when TV was becoming popular in the 50's no one would watch Doc Holliday shoot a guy so he could bet on how many times his legs kicked. If you were around then, we did not even see blood. Better days, some would say.

Now on television if there is not at least one dismemberment, one incest rape and three cases of adultery, in the first week of a new show, it will not make it.

Answer 7

To understand this, we need to travel back in history.

Man started off as an individual who lived by his own rules and laws.

As the population increased, men began to claim rights on the same resources, and thus began the time of might is right. Man began fighting, and establishing his territory.

But over time, as his mental faculties evolved, he realised that fighting didn't resolve his problems. He needed to find a solution where he would expend less energy fighting people off, and did not always have to watch his back.

Thus entered society. Man created society for his own convenience. He gave up rights to his freedom and asked others to do the same, in order to unite men under laws and rules that would help them live in peace. And provide them the security to let someone else choose and chalk out his life for him.

Well, some men don't believe in those rules.

History is full of their stories. Robinhood, Three Musketeers, the gunners from the wild west etc etc. We call them outlaws, but they just wanted to exercise their natural state of freedom, because they didn't believe in giving that to any society, or government created by a coterie of men.

The rest of us, are used to society. We rant about it, but we also depend upon it, have become used to it. And possibly wouldn't know what to do if it ceased to exist.

So when we watch these 'outlaws', we feel what it would be like to be free of society, and in appluading them, we applaud their individuality, their courage to do what we have forgotten to do, and through them, vicariously, live our dream of freedom.

Answer 8

I think it's the white man complex. Don't take that the wrong way cause I'm white too, but when we got to this country we "claimed" it, but how can claim something that was never ours to claim. I think americans in general, and especially white ones have a big ego and think that they can jsut own things. Maybe thats wrong to say, but we sure did come to this country and kill off all the natives to this country, and then we brought some others people "slaves" to do our dirty work cause what, were too good to go pick some damn cotton. I love my people and my heritage, but I really disagree with a lot that we have done as a people. I think we celebreate them because it's what has always been done, it's what we know. Yes they were murderers, theives, rapists, and who knows what else, but thats what this country was founded on

Answer 9

Because, at least in the case of Jesse James, the tactics of his pursuers were as bad or worse compared to what he did. I mean dang, they blew up his mom and killed his halfwit brother with a bomb. When he tried to surrender after the Civil War they shot him from ambush.

Answer 10

Romantic legends sound better than run of the mill boring reality.