Liberty, Missouri bank robbery, attributed to the James gang (1866)

On February 13, 1866, the Clay County Savings Association in Liberty, Missouri, was robbed by former Confederate guerrillas. This event is cited as one of the earliest documented daylight bank robberies in US peacetime history. Attribution to Jesse James is contested, with sources noting uncertainty about his direct participation.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. The robbery occurred in Liberty, Missouri, a town in Clay County. The bank was owned by former Republican militia officers who had recently held the first Republican rally in the county's history. The perpetrators were identified as former Confederate guerrillas, possibly led by Jesse James or Archie Clement, who later formed the James–Younger Gang.

Attribution. Historical records describe the event as the first daylight armed bank robbery in the United States during peacetime. However, the specific involvement of Jesse James remains unclear. While the gang is often credited, sources state it is uncertain whether the James brothers took part in this specific robbery.

Political Context. Clay County had a high proportion of slaveholders compared to the rest of Missouri; slaves constituted twenty-five percent of the county's population against ten percent statewide. The region experienced turmoil following the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854, as the question of slavery's expansion into neighboring Kansas bred tension and hostility. The bank targeted in the robbery was owned by former Republican militia officers.

People involved

Sources

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