Dodge City and Tombstone
Instructions: Answer each question (and each part of the question) thoroughly and completely. You MUST use and cite an appropriate reading (or episode in this week) for each question. Use the reading that we read for that particular week. Please refer to the lecture for the week and use what you learned to answer the question. I would suggest a 250-300-word answer for each question. Remember, these worksheets are the bulk of your grade.1. According to Britz, how did the memorializing Dodge City and Tombstone differ? (In other words, how did they differ in recreating their past?) What was the overall goal of these two towns in highlighting their history?
Dodge City and Tombstone were both Wild West towns known for their lawlessness, gunfights, and notorious outlaws. Despite their similarities, the way they memorialized and recreated their past differed in significant ways. While Dodge City focused more on its economic and cultural development, Tombstone focused more on its Wild West history. Both towns capitalized on their past in order to attract tourists and promote economic growth, but they did so in different ways that reflected their unique histories and identities.
Dodge City, located in Kansas, was founded in the 1870s and quickly became known as the “Wickedest Little City in America.” However, in the early 1900s, Dodge City began to rebrand itself as a more civilized and cultured city. It became a hub for wheat farming and cattle ranching, and local leaders worked to promote the city’s progress and modernization. As a result, the way Dodge City memorialized its past was more focused on its transformation into a thriving agricultural center and less on its lawless, Wild West days.
Tombstone, located in Arizona, was also known for its lawlessness and gunfights. However, unlike Dodge City, Tombstone did not experience the same level of economic growth and transformation. As a result, the way Tombstone memorialized its past was more focused on its Wild West history. In the 1920s, local business owners worked to recreate the town’s historic district, complete with Wild West reenactments and gunfight shows. Today, Tombstone remains a popular tourist destination known for its historical reenactments.2. According to Christensen how does the “Frontier Myth” (by Frederick Jackson Turner) relate to the Wild West? Give specific examples and reasoning.
3. Willrich argues that eugenics led to a reform in the criminal justice system that he calls “eugenic jurisprudence.” Explain what this is and what institutions he points to as a symptom of this eugenic jurisprudence.
4. Give three (3) examples that Lombroso cites as the reasons for the increased homicide (crime) rate in the United States. How does his racial and ethnic prejudices shape his beliefs?