Although most people still believe in the “wild” West myth, historians have been dismantling it for some time. The old West is such an interesting case of private dispute resolution and of order without the state because the conditions were so apparently unfavorable. These were complete strangers of often radically different backgrounds, typically looking not to set down permanent roots but to make a quick living and leave. And yet the sky did not fall. To the contrary, peace and social cooperation were the norm.

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