Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

Context

The issues leading up to the gunfight remain complex: the two sides were in opposition due to politics, business concerns, and other ideological factors. The Earps were viewed by their enemies as badge-toting pimps who ruthlessly enforced the business interests of the town; the Clantons and their cowboy crowd were viewed by their enemies as cattle rustlers, thieves, and murderers.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The key incident leading up to the shooting was a stagecoach robbery in March 1881, in which two people were killed and a prime suspect escaped from jail afterward. In the aftermath, accusations about who was involved in the robbery floated about, with Doc Holliday made a suspect after his girlfriend Big Nose Kate accused him, but then later recanted. Wyatt, standing for election to sheriff of Cochise County against incumbent Johnny Behan, his rival, reportedly attempted to coerce Ike Clanton to help arrest some of the men accused in the robbery, but Ike backed out of the deal and afterward the animosity between the Earps and Clantons grew.

Related Topics:
March - 1881 - Doc Holliday - Big Nose Kate - Cochise County - Johnny Behan

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~