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Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War is a new Netflix documentary series that is set in the 1880s to show the infamous shootout at O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, and its aftereffects. The series was released on August 21, 2024, with six episodes of about 35 to 49 minutes each.
Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War looks into the shootout between three brothers Virgil, Morgan, and Wyatt Warp, and their friend Doc Holiday, against a gang of criminals led by Ike Clanton. The series is narrated by actor Ed Harris and features Tim Fellingham, Ariel Eliaz, Shane Penhale, and Edward Franklin.
The rivalry between the Earp brothers and Ike Clanton became the reason for the shootout at the O.K. Corral which is also shown in Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War. This shootout then further escalated the tensions between the opponents, leading to threats and killings over the mid-1880s.
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Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War: The reasons behind the O.K. Corral shootout
The shootout at the O.K. Corral happened because the Earp brothers and the Cowboy gang, led by Ike Clanton, had an escalating rivalry. The trouble started because of the growing criminal activities of the Cowboy gang including the robbery of the stagecoach.
Things got messed up when Wyatt Earp made a deal with Clanton, saying he would give him $6,000 if Clanton shared the whereabouts of the stagecoach robbers. But when Wyatt got there, the robbers were already dead, and nobody was arrested, so Clanton didn't get the money he was promised.
Clanton felt cheated and was afraid that his disloyalty to the Cowboys would be revealed, which made him more resentful. After a night of excessive drinking, he openly threatened Wyatt Earp and his family.
This threat led to a dangerous face-off at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881, where Clanton and his group confronted the Earps and Doc Holliday. The brief 30-second shootout ended with the death of three Cowboys and escalated the ongoing conflict, making the incident a historic symbol of the Wild West's lack of law and order.
How Did Earp and Clanton become enemies?
The long-standing hatred shown in Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War, between Wyatt Earp and Ike Clanton grew stronger because of many bitter confrontations and growing personal and political disagreements. The argument started with the violent fight at the O.K. Corral, where Clanton’s brothers were killed.
Clanton’s response of showing the bodies in public and calling the Earps heartless killers made their conflict even worse. This move made people think that Earps were the bad guys and sympathized with Clanton.
Things got more complicated when Clanton discovered a scandal that involved Sheriff Johnny Behan and Wyatt Earp, which he used against them. Behan's disclosure of Earp's relationship with his partner Josephine resulted in Earp's arrest and a very intense court trial, where Clanton took advantage of the situation to benefit himself.
Even though Earp was eventually found not guilty, Clanton did not sit back. He wanted revenge on Earp to make sure that the influence and power of his gang remained the same. The fight represented the battle between old Southern beliefs and the Northern effort to modernize and grow through business.
The climax of the conflict shown in Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War was centered when Wyatt executed the campaign vendetta ride which aimed at punishing all those who killed his brother Morgan. Wyatt, in the end, let his revenge go as he understood that he couldn't do anymore unlawful activities and continued to work as an advisor in Hollywood until he died in 1929.
Clanton was on a run and arrived at a cabin on Eagle Creek, south of Springerville, only to run into Officer J.V. Brighton and Deputy Sheriff Albert Miller. When Clanton was asked to surrender, he tried to flee and reach for his weapon, but Officer Brighton shot Clanton as he refused to surrender.
This bigger conflict caught the attention of the whole country, affecting people like J.P. Morgan and leading to political and financial actions to control the violence. Hence, Earp and Clanton's personal issues became a symbol of the bigger social conflicts of their time, making them famous as long-lasting rivals.
Fans of documentary series can watch Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War on Netflix.
