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In the process of gaining basic knowledge about Billy the Kid, I found the linked article useful. The website seems quite casual, and the authors use of informal English suggests that he is an amateur enthusiast on the subject. In a way that makes the website a useful secondary source, because we want to understand not only the raw facts of his life, but also what makes him so appealing to those who remember him.
In classic outlaw fashion, Billy the Kid went by many names. Here the historical records are often weak, and people debate whether or not some of the aliases were his actual name. The author of the article prefers the view that William H. Bonney was merely a cover that he switched to after he became an outlaw. To me this view also seems most reasonable.
Amazingly, or so it seems to us in modern times, the Kid lit out for the Arizona territory when he was only 15 years old. At this time he was no major criminal, but he had committed some petty theft and did not want to face the wrath of his stepfather.
On a different note, it is interesting to see how much controversy there is about the details of the Kid’s life. His death is surrounded in controversy, as well as many of the dramatic events that supposedly happened before that, such as when he told a judge that he could “go to hell, hell hell!” These anecdotes are fascinating in large part because there is little evidence for them. Is it a coincidence that many of the most memorable and legendary things about the Kid are things which lack evidence, and hence can be seen as the work of mythology?
In a general look at Kid’s life, I see that it brilliantly fits the stereotypes of the Old West: He was an outlaw frontiersman, he worked on cattle ranches, he shot and killed several people, he got in trouble with the law, and he had to deal with a sheriff. So here there are two distinct possibilities: Did Kid and men like him shape our romantic vision of the Wild West? Or, do we already have a pre-existing vision with which we interpret the facts?
I believe that there is some truth in both of these arguments. Surely our myths about the Western frontier came from somewhere. But at the same time, what sticks with us in legend is usually that which appeals to us psychologically, whether or not it is technically true. For example, our vision of the Wild West involves shoot-outs with people dying all the time. But in the Lincoln County “War”, there was nothing that resembled an all-out fight. Despite this, the reckless narrative prevails because it is just so entertaining and mesmerizing.
The Robber Barons
“A Rebel and a Legend”
Information on Billy the Kid
In the process of gaining basic knowledge about Billy the Kid, I found the linked article useful. The website seems quite casual, and the authors use of informal English suggests that he is an amateur enthusiast on the subject. In a way that makes the website a useful secondary source, because we want to understand not only the raw facts of his life, but also what makes him so appealing to those who remember him.
In classic outlaw fashion, Billy the Kid went by many names. Here the historical records are often weak, and people debate whether or not some of the aliases were his actual name. The author of the article prefers the view that William H. Bonney was merely a cover that he switched to after he became an outlaw. To me this view also seems most reasonable.
Amazingly, or so it seems to us in modern times, the Kid lit out for the Arizona territory when he was only 15 years old. At this time he was no major criminal, but he had committed some petty theft and did not want to face the wrath of his stepfather.
On a different note, it is interesting to see how much controversy there is about the details of the Kid’s life. His death is surrounded in controversy, as well as many of the dramatic events that supposedly happened before that, such as when he told a judge that he could “go to hell, hell hell!” These anecdotes are fascinating in large part because there is little evidence for them. Is it a coincidence that many of the most memorable and legendary things about the Kid are things which lack evidence, and hence can be seen as the work of mythology?
In a general look at Kid’s life, I see that it brilliantly fits the stereotypes of the Old West: He was an outlaw frontiersman, he worked on cattle ranches, he shot and killed several people, he got in trouble with the law, and he had to deal with a sheriff. So here there are two distinct possibilities: Did Kid and men like him shape our romantic vision of the Wild West? Or, do we already have a pre-existing vision with which we interpret the facts?
I believe that there is some truth in both of these arguments. Surely our myths about the Western frontier came from somewhere. But at the same time, what sticks with us in legend is usually that which appeals to us psychologically, whether or not it is technically true. For example, our vision of the Wild West involves shoot-outs with people dying all the time. But in the Lincoln County “War”, there was nothing that resembled an all-out fight. Despite this, the reckless narrative prevails because it is just so entertaining and mesmerizing.