Outlaws
by Daniella
Outlaws are people who rob banks, or are famous criminal, usually on the run. The fighting started in Kansas and Missouri over slavery. Some of the most famous outlaws were Billy the kid, Belle Starr, and Jesse James.
Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid was the most famous outlaw in the wild west. Billy's real name was Henry McCarty. He and his friends ran an illegal grocery store. It was illegal because when there was only supposed to be one grocery store they opened up another. In 1881 he was shot by Sheriff Pat Garret. Legend says that he killed 21 men but the real total was probably 4!
Belle Starr
Belle Starr was known as the bandit queen. Belle ran a gang in Texas that stole horses and cattle. She and her husband, Sam made there home an outlaw retreat. She carried on with her career even though Sam was gunned down in a saloon gunfight. Belle was gunned down in an ambush in 1889.
Jesse James
Jesse James was another famous outlaw. He was in the gang called the 'James gang'. They hid at Jesse's stepfathers farm in Clay County, Missouri. The gang committed the first train robbery and the first bank robbery. In 1882 one member of the gang betrayed Jesse and shot him in the back of his head for reward money.
Outlaws affected the way the settlers lived because they lived in fear of getting murdered and getting robbed.
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