Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Decade:
1880s
Topic:
People in Motion
The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral lasted only 30 seconds but became the most infamous story of the Wild West. The feud occurred between the Earps (lawmen Wyatt, Morgan, and Virgil, and friend John H. “Doc” Holliday) and members of the Cowboy gang. The feud erupted on October 26, 1881 when the Earps and Holliday responded to the Cowboys’ threats to kill the Earps. It is unclear who shot first, but by the end Tom and Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton were dead, and Ike had fled. The feud continued through 1882, killing Morgan and several others, until Wyatt and Virgil left Arizona.
Read About It
Use the document analysis sheet and the photograph analysis sheet to uncover clues about the people that created the documents.
- O.K. Corral testimonies - Legal and Court History of Cochise County collection
- "A Desperate Street Fight," Arizona Weekly Citizen, Oct. 30, 1881 (p. 3, column 7)
- Wyatt Earp: The Showdown in Tombstone
- The McLaurys in Tombstone, Arizona: An O.K. Corral Obituary
- John Ringo: King of the Cowboys