Al Capone Research Paper

Jesse James was the middle child of four siblings and was born in Clay County, Missouri, in the nineteenth century. Jesse was a wild child growing up, and he and his brother Frank enlisted as Confederate soldiers to fight in Missouri against the Union and its allies during the Civil War. After the war, he and his brother kept up their criminal lifestyle, and they were known for their brutal attacks and techniques. He developed a reputation as a notorious American bandit by robbing banks, stagecoaches, and railroads across the country. The "James-Younger Gang," which Jesse and his brother eventually expanded and created, rose to become one of the most infamous gangs of the era. After agreeing to a deal with the Missouri Governor, Jesse James

He started his criminal career as a member of the "Five Points Gang", and later became the boss of the "Chicago Outfit", who made their money through gambling, prostitution, and bootlegging. Al Capone was famous for his corruption, his ability to evade law enforcement, and his violent tactics and murders. He is believed to be responsible for the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, as well as over 200 murders. After many years of crime, he was convicted in 1931 on charges of tax evasion and sentenced to 11 years, and after being released he died in 1947 of syphilis. During Al Capone's life, the United States was slowly recovering from World War I, and Prohibition had become a significant topic within the country. Prohibition was the nation's ban on alcohol, in hopes of improving the health of the country as well as reducing crime. With the passing of these new laws, criminals like Al Capone, rose and began growing their empires. Capone began by smuggling alcohol and selling it behind closed doors illegally. Many began doing this and the new laws against alcohol were being broken by almost every United States citizen within the first five years of the laws being passed. With Al Capone quickly becoming one of the most powerful men in Chicago at the time, his following grew and his gang was spreading across the state, as well as

The first similarity between the two is that, despite being dangerous criminals of their time, both Al Capone and Jesse James were seen as "Robin Hood" figures in a way. After Jesse Jame's death, he became popular in pop culture and he was portrayed as a robin hood figure as he and his gang were known for robbing these wealthy businessmen, banks, and trains and returning large sums to the lower populations of the time. One famous story is a train robbery in Iowa, 1873, when Jesse robbed a train and went to the nearby town giving money to farmers, children, and other townspeople. This story would set up his legacy, and during his life, he was feared, and after he was more or less looked up to. People often read these stories and instead of seeing him as a criminal, saw him as taking from those who could afford it and giving it to those of lower status. While Al Capone was certainly seen as a worse criminal than Jesse James, parts of his life were highlighted in a philanthropic sense. During his reign and the wide range of income gained during prohibition, once the Great Depression hit, Al Capone was known to give to the less fortunate, and those in need. Some argue that "rather than Al Capone having a strong heart, he would only give to improve his public image". This may be true but his actions were nonetheless