Criminal Trials as Culture Wars: Southern Honor and the Acquittal of Frank James

Abstract

More than any other nation, the United States was formed by individuals for whom public justice was central to identity. What the country has lacked in public religious spectacle we have replaced with public narratives of crime, justice, and redemption. A century before we became addicted to simulated spectacles of triumph, tragedy, life, and death in movie theaters and sports arenas, we sought out the real thing in criminal trials and executions. These legal proceedings were often the most widely-attended public events in the community.