Billy The Kid: Misunderstood Hero
Billy the kid , the legend lives on Henry McCarty, Henry Antrim and William H Bonny are all aliases of the notorious Billy the Kid. Born in the slums of New York City, Billy grew up in what we would consider today a broken home. The exact date of his birth is uncertain but it he is known to be born in the early 1860s. After his mother passed away and his step father no longer cared for him, Billy moved to a boarding house. While there he began his career as an outlaw. Incarcerated multiple times on accounts of larceny and murder, unfortunately for him, he could not escape his death. On July fourteenth 1881 Billy was shot in Fort summers by sheriff Garret. Outlaw or hero, the life and legend of Billy the kid has shaped
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Some say he was nothing more than a murderer with a death toll of 20 or so men. They believed he killed without reason, some disagree mainly the poor. Billy picked up a sort of Robin Hood persona, even though he never necessarily gave to the poor. What he did do was take down some very wealthy and powerful men who made life for the lower class oppressive. The Iconic teenage outlaw of the southwest has altered the meaning of the Wild West like no other one person has. As his reputation grew from a fearless gunslinger to a wanted murderer so did the reputation of the West. Bill is also known for his part in the Lincoln county war and the many monuments dedicated to him. The stories of the violent, gun slinging, cowboy ridden Wild west would not be the same if not for outlaw Billy the kid. The legend of Billy the kid has been told in novels, books, plays, songs, poems and most of all, in film. Billy has taken the record for most movies made about any single person. Starting in 1911 with “Billy the Kid” directed by Laurence Trimble. His life made for a perfect plot filled with conspiracy, romance, corruption and lots of gun shots. Billy’s fan base grew larger and larger as the years went by and more films and books were written. Even when not in the movie Billy always played a role in the making of any western, as he did play such an important role in the shaping of the Wild West.
Some say he was nothing more than a murderer with a death toll of 20 or so men. They believed he killed without reason, some disagree mainly the poor. Billy picked up a sort of Robin Hood persona, even though he never necessarily gave to the poor. What he did do was take down some very wealthy and powerful men who made life for the lower class oppressive. The Iconic teenage outlaw of the southwest has altered the meaning of the Wild West like no other one person has. As his reputation grew from a fearless gunslinger to a wanted murderer so did the reputation of the West. Bill is also known for his part in the Lincoln county war and the many monuments dedicated to him. The stories of the violent, gun slinging, cowboy ridden Wild west would not be the same if not for outlaw Billy the kid. The legend of Billy the kid has been told in novels, books, plays, songs, poems and most of all, in film. Billy has taken the record for most movies made about any single person. Starting in 1911 with “Billy the Kid” directed by Laurence Trimble. His life made for a perfect plot filled with conspiracy, romance, corruption and lots of gun shots. Billy’s fan base grew larger and larger as the years went by and more films and books were written. Even when not in the movie Billy always played a role in the making of any western, as he did play such an important role in the shaping of the Wild West.