PSAT Writing and Language Practice Test 50: Hatfields and McCoys

Questions 1-11 refer to the following information.

Hatfields and McCoys

Like many of history's most legendary battles, the lawless family feud between the Hatfields and McCoys 1 boiling down to the differences between two men. William Anderson Hatfield, known widely as "Devil Anse," was a mountain dweller and successful timber merchant. Randolph McCoy, or "Ole Ran'l," 2 owned some land, and livestock in the same region; the borderlands dividing Kentucky and West Virginia. The clash between the two families brands the American memory—in the Midwest, the vendetta rivals that of the Capulets and Montagues but with a uniquely "hillbilly" twist.

Legend has it that the feud began somewhere near 1865 with the murder of Randolph's brother, Asa, who was accused of treason for fighting for the Union during the Civil War. 3 As a result, the Hatfield family ran the Logan Wildcats, the local militia group responsible for Asa's murder. Years of deep dislike, bitter resentment, and minor confrontations passed before Randolph McCoy accused Floyd Hatfield of stealing a hog in 1878. Devil Anse's influence over the courts resulted in a quick clearing of Floyd's name but not before a McCoy relative testified on the Hatfield's behalf. 4 The disloyalty sealed the witness's fate—he was violently killed by other McCoys.

It wasn't until the 1880s, though, that things spiraled out of control. Johnse Hatfield, son of Devil Anse, began dating Randolph's daughter, Roseanna. They devoted themselves to each other despite their 5 family's disapproval. However, Johnse later left a pregnant Roseanna and married her cousin Nancy, stirring intra- and inter-familial conflicts. Things were unstable to say the least in August 1882, when three of Randolph's sons confronted two Hatfield brothers. 6 The face-off turned to violence with quickness and rapidity, and Ellison Hatfield was stabbed and shot. To 7 venge the family name, a group of Hatfields found the three sons, bound them, and fired more than 50 bullets into them. Again, the prominent family 8 eluded arrest.

[1] The media caught on, and the Hatfield/McCoy clash reached commercial popularity. [2] Suddenly newspapers produced article after article, painting the Hatfield family as particularly vicious and violent. [3] By 1887, the Hatfields spent most of their time dodging increasingly large bounties. [4] To put an end to the family rivalry, the Hatfields sought to end the McCoys once and for all. [5] In 1888, they ambushed the McCoy household, killing 9 Old Ran'l's son and daughter, and brutally beating his wife. [6] Nine were arrested in connection to the atrocious crime. 10

Eventually, the case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court where eight of the nine received life in prison. 11 The ninth, a mentally handicapped Ellison Mounts, was hanged in February 1890. Today, both families hold celebrity status in the American consciousness.