Bandit is a robber who is usually one of a group of outlaws. The word comes from the Italian word bandito, which means outlaw. Bandits have always been common in countries where government is weak. In England, the legendary outlaw Robin Hood was a hero of the common people as far back as the 1300’s. In Mexico during the early 1900’s, Pancho Villa was sometimes called the champion of the people against the government.
America’s most famous bandits lived in the West. The typical bandit was born about 1850, lived only about 35 years, and rarely died a natural death. Such a description would fit Sam Bass, William Quantrill, or Jesse James.
