You know how I feel about politics… I love it. Love it. You may have thought the gunfight at the OK Corral was about law versus crime. Did you ever think it was about politics? No. Well, maybe we should think about it. Remember that the gunfight took place in 1881, only 16 years after the end of the American Civil War. Seems like a long time, but not really. Virgil Earp was even a veteran of the Union Army. Now let’s add some sums to the equation: the Earp brothers were Republicans and most of the “Cowboys” were Democrats. Need more? Okay, John Behan the Cochise County Sheriff, rival to Wyatt and friend to the “Cowboys” was a Democrat. He was a Democrat.  So is it possible that the gunfight was about more than just law and order?  Oh yeah!

It is important to know that Tombstone was growing fast at that time. People were pouring into the town in hopes of striking it rich. Even the Earp brothers owned a few Claims. So controlling power in Tombstone meant money. Big money. There is also the left over feelings from the Civil War. Add that into the “Wild West” and you get a very explosive situation. Very explosive. I told you politics were fun!