The Johnson County War (1892) (Edexcel GCSE History)

In Johnson County, Wyoming, conflicts between homesteaders and cattle ranchers escalated into violence. Cattle ranchers controlled vast areas of land and relied on open grazing. They resented how the homesteaders used the open range. The cattle barons viewed homesteaders as trespassers and wanted them off of the land.

Due to increasing tensions, homesteaders and cattle ranchers organised themselves into associations. Armed confrontations occurred between the two groups. In 1892, a group of Texan gunmen arrived in Johnson County. The cattle barons paid for the gunmen. They tasked them to eliminate alleged rustlers and troublemakers among the homesteaders. Their plan was unsuccessful. The local law enforcement and community protected homesteaders from this attack. The standoff ended with the US Army restoring order.

The Johnson County War exposed the strong tensions between homesteaders and cattle ranchers. It highlighted the extent to which cattle ranchers would protect their economic interests and political power. It demonstrated the challenges of coexistence. There was high competition between different groups seeking to claim the land and resources of the Plains.

In the 1870s, huge cattle ranches developed in Wyoming, Rich, British investors financed the ranches. Cattle barons began to take over more land for their huge cattle ranches

In the winter of 1886-1887, smaller ranches coped better.  Larger ranchers accused smaller ranches of cattle rustling. ​In court, the jury was mostly ‘ordinary’ small ranchers and homesteaders. Many suspected cattle rustlers were not punished

In 1889, a powerful cattleman named Albert Bothwell accused homesteaders Ella Watson and Jim Averill of stealing his cattle. Averill made the tension worse by calling big ranchers ‘nothing but rich land-grabbers’.​ As a result, Bothwell hung Watson and Averill and took their land and cattle for himself

The cattle barons held important positions in government and became local court judges. The governor of Wyoming (Governor Barber) openly supported the cattlemen

Cattle barons created the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA). The WSGA banned small ranchers suspected of rustling from the spring round-up. Cattle barons wanted to take the law into their own hands

Homesteaders and small ranchers set up their own ‘Association’ in 1892. They deliberately set out on the spring round-up a month before the larger ranches

The power of cattle barons decreased. Many residents thought that the cattlemen were wrong for their actions

The cattlemen were not brought to justice. This is because:

• The trial was moved to Cheyenne because the jury would favour the cattlemen over suspected cattle rustlers

• The WSGA hired the best lawyers from Chicago. They extended the case so long that Johnson County could not afford the trial. All charges were dropped

Due to changes in the cattle industry, cattle barons reduced their ranches and fenced off their land. This reduced tensions between homesteaders and cattle ranchers