The+history+of+feuding2

=The History of Feuding= By Nick Birnbaum and Doug Burtha [|Feuding] has a long and violent history. Ever since ancient times, tribes have fought over land and to settle disputes. If one member of a family or tribe killed or wronged a member of another tribe, the the entire tribe banded together to get revenge. This type of blood feuding can go on for years. An excellent example of this is the modern blood feuds that continue in Albania. One of the earliest examples of feuding occured in the 13th and 14th centuries in [|Scotland]. Feuds between clans sometimes went on for years. When the English invaded, constant warfare broke out across the land. This feud between the divided peoples of Scotland and the English Crown went on for centuries, finally escalating to a full revolt under such historical figures as William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.



A major modern feud was that between [|the Hatfield and McCoy families] in the late 1800s. It began when Johnse Hatfield attempted to elope with Rosanna McCoy in 1882. Ellison Hatfield was killed. In retaliaton, the Hatfields killed three members of the McCoy family. They shot them and the feud continued with the families killing each other until several arrests and convictions ended the feud in 1888.

The concept of such blood vengeance or "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" violence streches all the way back to biblical times, where the phrase comes from. This concept was further elaborated in Corsica. Vendettas were launched to right a percieved wrong. They could strech on for years. This was also transplanted to Italy, where many Corsicans fled during the numerous occupations of Corsica throughout the Middle Ages and into modern times. This idea of avenging wrongs done to a member of your family serves as the main plot in "Romeo and Juliet."



Another famous example of feuding and vendetta is the gangster wars that occured in Chicago in the 1920s. Public outcry over the results of one of these famous feuds caused the FBI to concetrate its efforts on one man: Al Capone. On St. Valentine's Day, 1929, members of Capone's group of mobsters killed five rivals,as well as some innocent witnesses. This event became infamous as the [|St. Valentine's Day Massacre].



Feuding has been a system of justice when there was no official justice. Honor would not allow one family to simply allow the officials to take care of the other family. The family then struck back, killing a member of the other family. This endless violence would continue for years. It is a timeless tale, one that has been repeated across history and across the globe. From modern day Albania to 20th century America to 14th century Verona, feuding has been a substitute for law and order for endless ages. It will undoubtably continue to occur in the most isolated of places without a set system of justice.

Works Cited: "**feud**." __Encyclopædia Britannica__. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. 28 Sept. 2007 <[|http://school.eb.com/eb/article-9034148>.]

Finer, Jonathan. "An eye for an eye: Blood **feuds** persist in Albania:Custom of revenge killings causing increasing concern." __Chicago Tribune__ 26 August 2007

Hatfield **and McCoy Families**." __Encyclopædia Britannica__. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. 30 Sept. 2007 .

Al Capone." __American History__. 2007. ABC-CLIO. 30 Sep. 2007 [|http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com.]

"Scotland." __World History: The Modern Era__. 2007. ABC-CLIO. 30 Sep. 2007 http://www.worldhistory.abc-clio.com.