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The Vigilantes of Montana
Hardcover
19th Century United States HistoryRegional: WestTrue Crime
ISBN13: 9781025341743
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 296
Weight: 1.30
Height: 0.69 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
The Vigilantes of Montana is a seminal historical account that chronicles the rise of lawlessness and the subsequent pursuit of justice in the early American West. Written by Professor Thomas J. Dimsdale, who was a witness to the era's turbulence, this work offers a primary perspective on the social and political volatility of the Montana Territory during the mid-19th century gold rush. The narrative centers on the reign of terror led by the notorious outlaw Henry Plummer and his gang, the Innocents, whose criminal activities paralyzed the mining communities of Alder Gulch and Virginia City.
Dimsdale provides a detailed and gripping record of the formation of the Vigilance Committee, a group of citizens who took it upon themselves to restore order through swift and often uncompromising action. Beyond its account of crime and punishment, the book explores the challenges of establishing civilization in a remote wilderness where formal law was frequently absent or corrupt. As one of the most significant early literary works of the region, The Vigilantes of Montana remains an essential resource for understanding the complexities of frontier morality and the foundational history of the American frontier.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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