2025 Research in the Capitol
Presentation Type
Open Access Poster Presentation
Abstract
My thesis covers the beginning of law and law enforcement in the Wild West, with a focus on the Arizona and New Mexico Territories between 1840-1890. I utilized historical records to understand a greater political landscape in these territories, to answer the question if the "Wild West" was as wild as it was remembered. From my findings, the "Wild West" might not be as wild as originally thought, due to the common historical representations not fully being supported by the numbers. Because numbers don't fully support the title, it is important that scholars look deeper into the research before deeming the "Wild West" as a dangerous time period.
Start Date
31-3-2025 11:30 AM
End Date
31-3-2025 1:30 PM
Event Host
University Honors Programs, Iowa Regent Universities
Faculty Advisor
Robert Dise
Department
Department of History
Copyright
©2025 Kaci Krier
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Krier, Kaci, "Outlaws, Lawmen, and the Emergence of Justice on the Western Frontier" (2025). Research in the Capitol. 5.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/rcapitol/2025/all/5
Outlaws, Lawmen, and the Emergence of Justice on the Western Frontier
My thesis covers the beginning of law and law enforcement in the Wild West, with a focus on the Arizona and New Mexico Territories between 1840-1890. I utilized historical records to understand a greater political landscape in these territories, to answer the question if the "Wild West" was as wild as it was remembered. From my findings, the "Wild West" might not be as wild as originally thought, due to the common historical representations not fully being supported by the numbers. Because numbers don't fully support the title, it is important that scholars look deeper into the research before deeming the "Wild West" as a dangerous time period.
