Myth of the Hanging Tree: Stories of Crime and Punishment in Territorial New Mexico - Paperback

by Robert J. Tórrez (Author)

The haunting specter of hanging trees holds a powerful sway on the American imagination, conjuring images of rough-and-tumble frontier towns struggling to impose law and order in a land where violence was endemic. In this thoughtful study, former New Mexico State Historian Robert Tórrez examines several fascinating criminal cases that reveal the harsh and often gruesome realities of the role hangings, legal or otherwise, played in the administration of frontier justice.

At first glance, the topic may seem downright morbid, and in a sense it is, but these violent attempts at justice are embedded in our perception of America's western experience. In tracing territorial New Mexico's efforts to enforce law, Tórrez challenges the myths and popular perceptions about hangings and lynchings in this corner of the Wild West.

Front Jacket

Torrez studies the gritty role of hangings in frontier New Mexico.

Author Biography

Robert J. Tórrez is an independent historian who served as the New Mexico state historian from 1987 until his retirement in December 2000. He has published six books on a broad spectrum of New Mexico history topics and contributed to nearly two dozen anthologies, including a recent New Mexico history textbook for use in New Mexico schools. His books include UFOs Over Galisteo and Other Stories of New Mexico's History and Myth of the Hanging Tree: Stories of Crime and Punishment in Territorial New Mexico (both from UNM Press) as well as Rio Arriba: A New Mexico County and New Mexico's Wicked City and Other True Stories of New Mexico History.