Is Deadwood historically accurate? 15 Events The Show And Movie Got Right

Dead wood is still considered one of the best Western television series of all time, largely attributed to historical accuracy depicting the events that shaped the real frontier town of Deadwood. The show follows sheriff Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) and bar owner Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), two real figures in Deadwood's origin story. It was also inhabited by some of the Old West's most enduring icons, such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Dead wood combined truth with fiction to tell an exciting narrative about the difficulties and opportunities of the city of Minas Gerais.

Although Dead wood was canceled after 3 seasons, there's no denying it's a well-documented and researched series that offers a glimpse into the harsh realities of life in the American West. The creators, writers, and actors took the time to be historically accurate whenever possible, while also applying creative license to embellish characters that were inspired by the type of people who would seek their fortune in Deadwood. Watching it feels as close to being a fly on the wall in Al's parlor as fans can get in the Western genre.

15

The Crédit Mobilier scandal really affected new investments

A financial scandal had far-reaching consequences

Dead wood takes a lot of liberties with his story, but one of the ways he manages to comment on the story and at the same time tell his own story is through subtle hints. At various points in the series, several characters mention difficulties in attracting investors to their new ventures due to a financial scandal that occurred in the east. Although there are no details about what happened, the characters refer to the Crédit Mobilier scandal.

The scandal came from several Union Pacific executives defrauding investors during the construction of a new railroad line in the 1860s.. However, although the project cost just $50 million, executives raised nearly double that amount and pocketed the excess wealth. While it has a minor impact on the overall story, it's interesting how this small piece of the story was meant to influence certain events in the series.

14

A shootout at the Gem Saloon

Trixie's character may have emerged from a real incident

Trixie (Paula) Malcomson) is one of the prominent characters in Dead wood as one of the sex workers at the Gem Saloon. Although she is shown to be intimidated by Al Swearengen in the first few episodes, she is also shown to be a tough and capable woman who is not afraid to stand up for herself. This is clearly shown in her introductory scene, in which Trixie shoots a customer who was supposedly hitting on her.

It turns out that this is likely a story that the series took from the real history of Deadwood and may have helped create the character of Trixie. According to Legends of America, there was a report of a sex worker at the Gem Saloon known only as Tricksie who once shot a customer in the head. As portrayed on the show, the man did not die immediately from his injury.

13

Bullock's public hanging

Bullock's insistence on seeing justice done was a real event

The first scene of Dead wood is an excellent introduction to this harsh Western world, while also being a perfect way to establish Seth Bullock's hardened belief in seeing justice done. As Seth and Sol Starr prepare to leave and start their new lives in Deadwood, they supervise a prisoner who is being held until his execution. However, when an angry mob arrives to lynch the man, Bullock will not allow mob justice to take control.

According to the book, Seth Bullock: Black Hills Lawmanthis was taken from a true story attributed to Bullock in which he held back a crowd at gunpoint and carried out the hanging himself. The moment becomes decisive for Bullock and is even referenced in the Dead wood film where Bullock almost lets the mob kill George Hearst before choosing to protect the man and uphold the law.

12

The peak of the Black Hills Gold Rush was 1876-1877

The discovery of gold in 1874 spurred Deadwood's rapid growth

The narrative of Dead wood centered on the Gold Rush in the Black Hills of Dakota, and the show portrayed this unique period in United States history incredibly well. With Colonel Custer patrolling Dakota Territory in search of the perfect spot to build a fort, the Black Hills Expedition of 1874 led the curious and intrepid to follow his lead. After gold was discovered in the Black Hills, Opportunistic settlers came from all over the country (and the world) to stake their claims and get rich.

Dead wood The historically accurate gold rush even extends to its titular town, as there's a real Deadwood in South Dakota and, like its TV show namesake, it was founded during the Black Hills Gold Rush. The town of Deadwood grew from this unexpected boom, starting as a collection of shacks to Al Swearengen founded his Gem Theater in 1876, and a class of merchants emerged selling tools and mercantile goods to miners hoping to make a fortune and settle in the city while land was still cheap.

11

Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed by Jack McCall while playing poker

Wild Bill Hickok was killed in 1876

Keith Carradine played Wild Bill Hickock in Dead wood, and his portrayal was one of the most accurate real-life characters in the series. Wild Bill Hickok, one of the most famous gunslingers in Old West lore, came to Deadwood in 1876 as part of Charlie Utter's train along with Calamity Jane. At that point in his life, men were eager to build a reputation by killing such a well-known folk hero, which is exactly what Jack McCall did. Many Western TV shows and films use real gunslingers, outlaws, and cowboys from the era but alter historical details.

When it comes to Wild Bill Hickock, however, Dead wood remains faithful to real life, even at the moment of his death. According to the official Dead wood website dedicated to the city and its history, after playing several games with Hickok and losing badly the day before (Hickok even lent him money to cover his breakfast), an insulted McCall found Hickok at his favorite bar, where he was sitting awkwardly with his back to the door, and shot him in the back of the head.

10

McCall was found not guilty at his first trial

McCall's questionable defense was also based in reality

As depicted in Dead woodIt wasn't long before Jack McCall was arrested for Wild Bill's murder. An impromptu trial was quickly formed. In the series, the trial takes place at the Gem Saloon, while in reality it took place at McDaniel's Theatre. Although there were several witnesses to McCall shooting Wild Bill, McCall claimed the murder was due to the notorious outlaw killing McCall's brother years earlier.

McCall was found innocent of the crime and quickly fled Deadwood, as shown in the series. However, the events surrounding McCall's fate thereafter are dramatized for the series. Bullock pursues McCall and arrests him again for crimes that didn't actually happen. McCall was simply rearrested in Wyoming after bragging about the murder and the court ruled that the “not guilty” verdict in Deadwood did not apply to legal states. He was retried, found guilty and hanged.

One of the most interesting aspects of the city of Deadwood portrayed in the series is the Chinese community. Although Mr. Wu (Keone Young) is the main character representing this community, they are a prosperous part of the city, involved in various business ventures, including Wu's dealings with Al Swearengen.

In fact, there was a large Chinese community in Deadwood and the city was one of the few that would welcome Asian immigrants at this time. There was a great deal of anti-Chinese immigration sentiment in the United States during the time, but it was reported that Chinese immigrants in Deadwood were generally welcomed. They created a part of the city to maintain their own culture with each other, but were also known for being involved in the wider community.

8

There was an outbreak of smallpox in 1876

Calamity Jane helped Deadwood

Bandits and violence were not the deadliest things faced by the citizens of small towns like Deadwood during the late 1800s. As Dead wood showed, disease was perhaps the greatest risk faced by those living in border cities. Dead wood It showed the impact of smallpox incredibly well, but it's more historically accurate than it initially seemed, as the city's 1876 epidemic actually happened. What's more, the inclusion of Wild West legend Calamity Jane was also true to real life.

When a smallpox outbreak hit Deadwood, quarantine tents were set up to care for the sick, known as plague houses, and which were at great risk to themselves, Calamity Jane helped care for the sick brought to them during the epidemic. The Deadwood website states that smallpox claimed 300 lives, or what represented a third of the town's population in 1876.

Although it had a devastating effect on the local economy, as stores closed just days after residents contracted the disease, the city was also able to rebuild and became known for the collective spirit of its citizens who persevered despite great losses.

7

The real Metz family was killed in 1876

One of the most horrific incidents in Deadwood

One of the most horrific incidents Dead wood it was, surprisingly, historically accurate – the massacre of the Metz family. The Metz family, a group of Dutch settlers who traveled from Deadwood to Minnesota, were real individuals (even if they weren't as well-known as Calamity Jane or Wild Bill Hickock). Dead wood changed a lot in relation to Al Swearengen, but not in its brutality, and when the Metz camp was attacked by Swearengen's men, they made it look like the work of the Siouxe.

The real massacre of the Metz family happened in 1876 and at the time was attributed to the famous Native American warrior Crazy Horse, the Lakota war leader who led many battles against the invading United States. According to the Spearfish Area Historical Societythere were no survivors in the Metz massacre, while in Dead wood, a girl named Sofia (Bree Seanna Wall) is taken in by the Widow. Sofia is watched closely by Swearengen, who hopes that when she finally starts talking, she won't be able to identify any of her men.

6

South Dakota became a state in 1889

Deadwood transformed into state

A decade separates the end of the series and the Dead wood film, and the narrative reflects the passage of time for all the characters. Just like in the main show, the Dead wood The film strives to ensure historical accuracy, and one of the main events it showcases is South Dakota's rise to statehood and the impact this has on the titular settlement. THE Dead wood The film is set in 1889 and is historically accurate when it comes to celebrations, as it was the same year that South Dakota became an official state.

Celebrations are the main reason many characters get back together. What's more, by the time Dakota Territory officially became a state, the town of Deadwood had grown from a collection of shacks into a true cosmopolitan space with bustling streets and its own train station. After South Dakota became a state and Deadwood benefited from the ability to transport resources such as lumber and ore by rail, it flourished and became a prosperous town that barely resembled what it was just a decade earlier.

5

Wyatt Earp and Morgan Earp visited Deadwood in 1876

The Earp brothers sought their fortune in Deadwood

There are few historical figures from the Gold Rush era who are as legendary as Morgan and Wyatt Earp. Like many other famous figures of the 19th century, the Earp brothers appear in Dead wood. And just like figures like Calamity Jane, Dead wood it didn't have to be historically inaccurate to include them, as the real brothers visited the real South Dakota town in real life. The Earp brothers came to Deadwood in 1876 with a golden gleam in their eyes.

According to Wyatt Earp – Frontier Marshal by Stuart Lago, Earp's wanderlust got the better of the brothers and they left Dodge City, Kansas, for Deadwood in the fall to make their own fortunes during the height of the Black Hills Gold Rush. Unfortunately, the ravines were crowded with miners, but Earp decided that any gold dust they found in the ground could be claimed at the gaming tables, and the brothers also transported lumber for a brief period with their team of horses during the spring before returning. Dodge City before winter arrived.

4

Jack Langrishe founded a playhouse in Deadwood in 1876

Jack Langrishe appeared in the last season

Brian Cox has joined the show's cast to play famous 19th century actor Jack Langrishe, who appears in the final season of Dead wood. Langrishe arrived in Deadwood with a troupe of theater artists hoping to add some culture to the city. Although Langrishe set up his theater to create an interesting narrative arc, he was also historically accurate. According to Legends of Americathey began operating out of the Bella Union Theater and later established their own playhouse so that performances would not compete with the brothel business that operated at the same time.

Langrishe and his troupe, along with the work of Martha Bullock, helped establish art, culture, and a connection to distant metropolitan areas. which Deadwood, in its isolated state, would normally have nothing to do with. The real Bella Union theater operated from 1876 to 1878, although lack of income turned it into a grocery store.

3

Seth Bullock opened the Bullock Hotel

The site still exists 125 years later

Langrishe's Bella Union Theater is not the only building in the city of Dead wood this also exists in real life. When Deadwood: the movie catches up with Seth Bullock again, The former sheriff became US Marshal and is still bringing law and order to the now bustling mining town. He also went beyond opening a hardware store with his friend Sol Star and the pair founded the Bullock Hotel.

The Bullock Hotel was not a fictional location created to Dead wood. The building and business exist in real life, and the show doesn't change much about its story. What's more, it's one of the few locations from the series that still exists. THE Bullock Historic Hotel The website states that the building still exists over 125 years later and is a major tourist attraction for fans of Dead wood and one of its most famous historical figures.

2

George Hearst and his mining operations arrived in Deadwood in 1877

Hearst owned over 600 acres

George Hearst (portrayed by Gerald McRaney) is one of the least known real historical figures in Dead wood, but the show did a good job of portraying it accurately. Before becoming one of the most powerful newspaper editors in the country, George Hearst came to Deadwood in search of “color.” After purchasing the Homestake mine, he would eventually begin purchasing other mining claims and facilities around Deadwood Gulch until he owned over 600 acres and his influence over the town was inevitable.

However, Dead wood also had an incredibly inaccurate moment with George Hearst. Despite Deadwood: the movie showing Hearst arrested for the murder of Charlie Utter and a mob led by Calamity Jane beating him nearly to death, the real Hearst never responded for his less-than-savory methods of obtaining claims in Deadwood. The real George Hearst later became a senator, serving from 1887 to 1891.

1

Sol Star became mayor of Deadwood in 1884

Sol Star's political career flourished

Dead wood historical accuracy is one of the main reasons the show was so engaging, as it managed to be fascinating from start to finish without having to change the details of many events or add several fictional characters. Alongside Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen, Sol Star (John Hawkes) was a real person and a key part of Deadwood's story.

After opening the hardware store with Bullock upon his arrival in Deadwood, Sol went on to support Bullock at the Bullock Hotel and, at the same time, pursue a political career. Following EP's election as mayor, Star became mayor of Deadwood in 1884 and held the position for several years, eventually becoming a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives, although Dead wood does not show the full extent of his impressive political career.

Source: Spearfish Area Historical Society, Dead wood, Legends of America, The historic Bullock hotel