Also, it's a fact that laws back in the old west weren't nearly as harsh, or has everything I've read in textbooks been lies?
Penalty for stealing a car (stealing someone's primary means of transportation) now, up to 5 years in prison depending on the exact circumstances, in Kentucky.
Penalty for stealing a horse (stealing someone's primary means of transportation) in the Old West, a short dance at the end of a rope.
Maybe those textbooks are indeed lying?