American Experience Season 31 Episode 7 The Feud

In the American Experience season 31 episode 7, titled "The Feud," viewers are taken back to the late 1800s in the hills of Eastern Kentucky, where two families, the Hatfields and McCoys, were engaged in a long-standing feud.

The episode delves into the origins of the feud, tracing it back to the Civil War and the different loyalties of the Hatfield patriarch, Anderson Hatfield, and the McCoy patriarch, Randolph McCoy. The two families, who had once been friends and neighbors, became bitter enemies as the feud escalated over a period of years.

Through archival footage and interviews with historians and descendants of both families, the episode explores the many grisly events that occurred during the feud, including murders, kidnappings, and full-scale battles. Viewers will learn about the infamous pig trial, where a member of the Hatfield family was accused of stealing a pig from the McCoys and brought to trial in a case that only served to further inflame tensions between the families.

The episode also delves into the role of outside actors in the feud, including the involvement of the legal system and newspaper reporters who sensationalized the events unfolding in Eastern Kentucky. Through these external factors, the feud eventually gained national attention and became a symbol of the violence and lawlessness of the American frontier.

Overall, "The Feud" serves as a comprehensive overview of one of the most famous and bloody family feuds in American history. By examining the myriad of factors that contributed to the feud's emergence and escalation, the episode offers a nuanced understanding of the complex nature of family conflict and its impact on American society.