Professional Documents
Culture Documents
and order was a rough and ready business in the newly settled territories. Things started to improve as more people arrived, and federal territories became fully fledged American states.
Federal territory
At first, newly-occupied land on the Plains was federal territory (it belonged to the ! government" and was administered by a governor, three #udges and a ! marshal. When the area reached a population of $,%%%, it became a territory, with - in addition - locally elected sheriffs, who could deal with local criminals. &ew territories were notoriously lawless. 'iners in the mining towns set up miners( courts, which settled local matters such as disputed claims, but were powerless to stop gangs of outlaws or rustlers. )n many areas, local citi*ens set up vigilante groups, who dished out summary #ustice to people suspected of crimes.
Township of Tombstone, Ari*ona, in +,,+ the gunfight at the -. /orral too0 place near here on 12 -ctober +,,+
When the population reached 2%,%%%, the territory became a state, with its own laws, government and finances, although there was still a ! marshal with responsibility for criminals who bro0e federal laws. !lowly, helped by improved communications (for instance the telegraph", law and order was established. Among the lawmen who helped achieve this were Pat Garrett (who shot 3illy the .id" and Wyatt Earp (famous for his shoot-out with the /lanton gang at the -. /orral".