A Decent, Orderly Lynching: The Montana Vigilantes Contributor(s): Allen, Frederick (Author) |
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ISBN: 0806136510 ISBN-13: 9780806136516 Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press OUR PRICE: $34.60 Product Type: Leather - Other Formats Published: February 2005 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - History | United States - State & Local - West (ak, Ca, Co, Hi, Id, Mt, Nv, Ut, Wy) - History | United States - 19th Century |
Dewey: 364.134 |
LCCN: 2004046069 |
Physical Information: 1.16" H x 7.86" W x 9.72" (1.70 lbs) 496 pages |
Themes: - Chronological Period - 19th Century - Geographic Orientation - Montana |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: The deadliest campaign of vigilante justice in American history erupted in the Rocky Mountains during the Civil War when a private army hanged twenty-one troublemakers. Hailed as great heroes at the time, the Montana vigilantes are still revered as founding fathers. Combing through original sources, including eye-witness accounts never before published, Frederick Allen concludes that the vigilantes were justified in their early actions, as they fought violent crime in a remote corner beyond the reach of government. But Allen has uncovered evidence that the vigilantes refused to disband after territorial courts were in place. Remaining active for six years, they lynched more than fifty men without trials. Reliance on mob rule in Montana became so ingrained that in 1883, a Helena newspaper editor advocated a return to "decent, orderly lynching" as a legitimate tool of social control. Allen's sharply drawn characters, illustrated by dozens of photographs, are woven into a masterfully written narrative that will change textbook accounts of Montana's early days--and challenge our thinking on the essence of justice. |
Contributor Bio(s): Allen, Frederick: - Frederick Allen is a former political editor and columnist with the Atlanta Constitution and commentator for CNN. His history of the Coca-Cola Company, Secret Formula, has been translated into seven languages. Atlanta Rising, his analysis of the forces that shaped modern Atlanta, is taught at several colleges. He and his wife, Linda, divide their time between Atlanta and Bozeman, Montana. |