What It Was Actually Like To Be Present At A Frontier Hanging

Out on the frontier, hangings were more than just a method of executing the guilty, they were a form of entertainment that offered spectators an escape from their everyday lives. Like many modern forms of entertainment, hangings weren’t just empty spectacle -- they also conveyed important messages to onlookers. Hangings were a stark reminder that while the west may have been wild, law and order still existed there.