The Summer of 1876: Outlaws, Lawmen, and Legends in the Season That Defined the American West

National Archives Museum
Online

The summer of 1876 was a key period in the development of the mythology of the Old West. Many individuals who are considered legends by modern readers were involved in events of that time: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok, and Jesse James. Author Chris Wimmer weaves together the timelines of the events that made these men legends, demonstrating the overlapping context of their stories and illustrating the historical importance of that summer. Among the significant milestones marked in 1876 were the inaugural baseball season of the National League, the final year of President Ulysses S. Grant’s embattled administration, the debut of an invention called the telephone, the release of Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; and the massive 100th anniversary party thrown to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence.