The following is a timeline of events that occur or are mentioned in Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Red Dead Online. Although the games are set at separate points between 1898 and 1914 inclusive, the background of the characters and the world spans well over a century of American history.

The events of Red Dead Revolver and Undead Nightmare are considered separate canons. The former is set in the 1880s during an unspecific year, and the latter is set in 1911 towards the end of the events of Red Dead Redemption.

Table of Contents
The 1700s	1709 - 1720 - 1744 - 1745 - 1755 - 1771 - 1779 - 1782 - 1784 - 1787 - 1789 - 1792 - 1793 - 1794 - 1796 - 1797 - 1798 - 1799
The 1800s	1800 - 1801 - 1802 - 1803 - 1804 - 1805 - 1806 - 1807 - 1808 - 1809
The 1810s	1810 - 1811 - 1812 - 1813 - 1814 - 1815 - 1816 - 1817 - 1818 - 1819
The 1820s	1820 - 1821 - 1822 - 1823 - 1824 - 1825 - 1826 - 1827 - 1828 - 1829
The 1830s	1830 - 1831 - 1832 - 1833 - 1834 - 1835- 1836 - 1837 - 1838 - 1839
The 1840s	1840 - 1841 - 1842 - 1843 - 1844 - 1845 - 1846 - 1847 - 1848 - 1849
The 1850s	1850 - 1851 - 1852 - 1853 - 1854 - 1855 - 1856 - 1857 - 1858 - 1859
The 1860s	1860 - 1861 - 1862 - 1863 - 1864 - 1865 - 1866 - 1867 - 1868 - 1869
The 1870s	1870 - 1871 - 1872 - 1873 - 1874 - 1875 - 1876 - 1877 - 1878 - 1879
The 1880s	1880 - 1881 - 1882 - 1883 - 1884 - 1885 - 1886 - 1887 - 1888 - 1889
The 1890s	1890 - 1891 - 1892 - 1893 - 1894 - 1895 - 1896 - 1897 - 1898 - 1899
The 1900s	1900 - 1901 - 1902 - 1903 - 1904 - 1905 - 1906 - 1907 - 1908 - 1909
The 1910s	1910 - 1911 - 1912 - 1913 - 1914 - 1915 - 1916 - 1917 - 1918 - 1919
Miscellaneous
Historical Inaccuracies

Pre 1700s

1010s

Vikings arrive in Annesberg and created the Old Tomb and left several artifacts.

1491

• Scotland decrees golf as unlawful for a period of time.^[1]

1500s

• A Spanish conquistor, known as the Frozen Settler, dies atop Mount Hagen in Ambarino.

1700s to 1790s

1709

• Cinco Torres Guarma Rum is established.

1720

• The city of Saint Denis is founded and serves as the capital of the French New World until the territory is purchased by the United States of America in the early 1800s.

1744

• Birth of Dewitt Charlesworth.^[2]

1745

• Ross Gray informs the British government of the impending Jacobite rebellion.^[3]

1755

• The Gray family emigrates from Scotland to North America and settles in the region of Scarlett Meadows.^[3]

1771

• The Obelisk is built.

1776

• The United States of America is established.

1779

• The Braithwaite family settles in Scarlett Meadows and builds Braithwaite Manor.^[4]

1782

• Birth of Josiah Blackwater.^[5]

1784

• Birth of Charles Phillip Landry.^[6]
• 14 June: The United States Army is formed.

1787

• May: Death of Dewitt Charlesworth, of unknown cause.^[2]

1789

• U.S. Marshals Service is established.

1792

• The Chelonian religion is formed in Boston, Massachusetts.^[7]

1793

• Birth of Marion Landry.^[6]

1794

• Josiah Blackwater meets a Native American woman who he later marries.^[5]
• Birth of Stanislaw Keane.^[8]

1796

• The state of New Hanover is established.^[9]
• Birth of Bernhardt Keane.^[8]

1797

• 27 November: Cardinal Blanco of Madrid writes a letter to Brother Rodolfo, a Jesuit missionary in California, asking him to refrain from leaving his mission to travel east.^[10] Rodolfo later receives the letter, but ignores Blanco and dies in New Austin.^[11]

1798

• Birth of Hector Fellowes Sr.^[12]

1799

• Birth of Charlie Banks.^[13]

1800s to 1840s

1806

• Birth of Alex Coutee.^[2]
• Birth of Caroline E. Boardman.^[14]
• Douglas Gray and Lucille Braithwaite conspire to steal large sums of gold from their families to fund the abolition of slavery. The Grays and Braithwaites, each believing that the other family had their missing gold, begin a blood feud that endures until 1899.

1809

• 20 March: Birth of Ada F. Williams.^[6]
• 11 November: Birth of Walter David Hubbard.^[6]

1810

• Birth of David Douglas.^[8]
• Death of Virginia Madison.^[6]
• 4 July: Birth of Mary Jane Hubbard.^[6]

1811

• Birth of Mathius Dalton.^[8]
• 26 November: Birth of Samantha Worth.^[8]

1814

• Trains are invented by George Stephenson.^[15]
• The Camera is invented by Joseph Nicephore Niepce.^[15]

1815

• 23 September: Death of Caroline E. Boardman.^[14][16]

1816

• Birth of Albert Calloway.^[8]
• Birth of Thomas Dunn.^[8]

1817

• Birth of Amelia Curley.^[17]
• 24 April: Birth of Hannah Chilcott.^[18]

1818

• Birth of Lucy Dunn.^[8]
• Birth of Victoria Malloy, mother of Curtis Malloy.^[8]

1820

• Birth of Wanda Fellowes.^[12]

1821

• Birth of Harvey Feeney.^[13]

1822

• Birth of Joseph Charlesworth.^[2]
• Birth of Philip J. Greenup.^[19]
• January: Birth of Curtis Baines.^[17]

1823

• Birth of Esther Sinclair.^[14]

1824

• Birth of Edgar Shelton.^[18]
• Birth of Seth Trice.^[14]
• Birth of Amelia Eaves.^[19]
• Death of Ezra Meier.^[6]

1825

• 8 March: Birth of Simon Dalton.^[8]

1826

• 18 June: Birth of Quincy T. Harris.^[20]

1827

• 3 July: Birth of Samuel Worth.^[8]

1831

• Birth of Lila Shelton.^[18]
• Death of Douglas Gray, of unknown cause.^[13]

1832

• The Saint Denis Times Tribune newspaper is founded in Saint Denis.
• Birth of Catherine Calloway.^[8]
• Birth of Magdalene Dalton.^[8]
• 18 May: Birth of George Drury.^[13]
• 12 June: Death of George Drury, of unknown cause.^[13]

1834

• Birth of Judith Johnston.^[21]

1835

• Birth of Elsie Feeney.^[13]
• Birth of Greta van der Linde.^[14]

1836

• Daniel Buck patents the first Buck revolving pistol.^[15]

1837

• 4 October: Death of Lucille Braithwaite, of unknown cause.^[13]

1838

• Earliest possible birth date of the Red Dead Online protagonist.
• Elias K. Fitch & Sons is established.
• 29 December: Death of Charles Phillip Landry.^[6]

1839

• Birth of Micah Bell Jr.^[22]
• 15 February: Death of Marion Landry.^[6]

1840

• Birth of Ronald Yeatman.^[17]
• 17 February: Death of Garreth Drury, died while felling a tree.^[13]

1841

• Birth of William 'Willie' Bowles.^[13]
• Death of George Henry Seymour.^[6]

1842

• Birth of Olive Shipley.^[14]
• Birth of Larry Chambers, husband of Mavis Chambers.^[19]
• 6 November: Death of Belle Finch, of cholera.^[14]

1843

• Birth of Louis Breax.^[2]
• Birth of Ada Stillman.^[14]
• 27 September: Death of Niles Caruthers, killed by an Indian arrow.^[14]

1844

• Sisika Penitentiary is established.
• Birth of Hosea Matthews.^[23]
• Birth of Angelo Bronte.^[24]

1845

• Birth of Leora Yeatman.^[17]
• Death of Stanislaw Keane, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Caroline Dinsot, of unknown cause.^[8]
• The state of New Austin is admitted into the Union.^[9]

1846

• Birth of Leopold Strauss.^[25]
• Birth of Alma Horlick.^[21]
• Birth of Nigel West Dickens.^[26]
• 25 April: The Mexican-American War begins. Fort Mercer is built in New Austin to exert control over disputed territory on behalf of the United States of America.^[27]

1847

• Death of Seth Trice, of unknown cause.^[14]

1848

• Mexican-American War concludes, with the United States of America victorious over the Mexican Republic. Fort Mercer is abandoned overtime.
• Birth of Yukon Nik Borodin.^[28]
• The Lemoyne National Bank is established
• 22 July: Death of Hannah Chilcott, of unknown cause.^[18]
• 22 October: Death of Mary Jane Hubbard.^[6]
• 30 October: Death of Walter David Hubbard.^[6]

1849

• Birth of Nettie Mae Feeney, wife of Jasper Feeney.^[13]
• Birth of Eldon Crabb Sr.^[14]
• Birth of Asa Hawson.^[17]
• Birth of Jesse Murray.^[29]
• 30 March: Death of Patrick Edward Reilly.^[6]
• 7 August: Death of Amelia Eaves, of cholera.^[19]
• Fall: Latest possible date for Uncle's birth.^[30]

1850s

1850

• Pinkerton National Detective Agency is established.
• Birth of Jack Yanner.^[31]

1851

• Birth of Hoover Cowan.^[18]
• Birth of Dwight Bundy.^[21]
• Birth of Jack Yanner.^[32]
• The West Elizabeth Co-Operative Bank is established.^[33]

1852

• Birth of Delilah Gaskell.^[14]
• Birth of David Purvis.^[14]
• Birth of Abe Shackleford.^[19]
• Death of Bernhardt Keane, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Henrietta Feaney, of unknown cause.^[19]
• Death of Peter Vidrine, of unknown cause.^[2]
• 6 April: Death of Ada F. Williams.^[6]

1853

• The Duke 1853 Navy Revolver is manufactured by Duke.^[34]

1854

• Birth of Betsy Glover.^[19]
• July: Birth of Edmund Tobin.^[17]

1855

• Birth of Eugene Dunn.^[8]
• Birth of Mabel Bryars.^[18]
• Birth of Dutch van der Linde.^[26]
• Death of Charlie Banks, of unknown cause.^[13]
• Quaker& Fitz is established.

1856

• Birth of Patrick Keane.^[8]
• Birth of Ulysses Howard.^[14]
• Birth of Murtel Purvis.^[14]
• Birth of Samson Forth.^[19]
• Birth of Rosie Tenerton.^[21]
• D.D. Packenbush produces the LeMat revovler.

1857

• Birth of Clinton Underwood.^[14]
• Birth of Phyllis Shodlow.^[14]
• Birth of Elenora Riddick.^[19]
• Birth of Stanley Lightfoot.^[29]
• Birth of Juan Calomarde.^[35]
• Carrington Fine Brady is established.
• 2 February: Death of Judith Johnston, of unknown cause.^[21]

1858

• Birth of Dorothy Hewitt.^[18]
• Birth of Herbert Forth, father of Moses Forth.^[19]
• Birth of Agustin Allende.^[26]
• Birth of Roberto de la Fuente.^[35]
• Birth of Otis Skinner.
• Birth of Etta Doyle
• Castille Cotton Company is established.
• The Civil War Hardee Hat is made.^[36]

1859

• Birth of Annie Worth.^[8]
• Birth of Otis Skinner.^[37]
• Death of Mathius Dalton, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Fort Riggs is abandoned after years of abuse to the natives.^[38]
• 28 April: Joseph Charlesworth places a News advertisement for the a runaway slave named Curtis Royle.^[39]

1860s

1860

• Birth of Sarah Worth.^[8]
• Birth of Pearl Palmer.^[14]
• Birth of Ira Somers.^[18]
• Birth of Leigh Johnson.^[26][40]
• Birth of Micah Bell III.^[22]
• Death of Mary Keane, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Darragh MacGuire is implicated in the Fenian Uprising in Galway, Ireland, and temporarily flees to Canada to escape British authorities.^[41]

1861

• Birth of Edgar Ross.^[26]
• Birth of Mordecai Robbard
• Birth of Landon Ricketts.^[26]
• The American Civil War begins. Lemoyne is one of several states that secedes from the United States to form the Confederate States of America.
• Billy West marries Annabel.^[42]
• Valentine Savings Bank opens in Valentine.
• 6 September: Elijah, a runaway slave, writes a letter to his uncle Lewis after escaping both the Pennington family and the owner of Old Harry Fen. He later dies near Shady Belle before he can mail the letter.

1862

• Birth of Matilda Brines.^[14]
• Death of Thomas Dunn, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Saint Denis Railway Station opens in Saint Denis.
• 14 April: Hayden Russell begins to suffer forgetfulness and relives the same day for the next 45 years.

1863

• Birth of Arthur Morgan.^[43]
• Birth of Stephen Banks.^[13]
• Birth of Merrietta Banks.^[13]
• 30 March: A Confederate charge led by Major Hobart Crawley is routed by Union troops, resulting in the deaths of 3,202 Confederate soldiers. Major Crawley is the only survivor. The battle is later memorialized with a statue in Rhodes.
• 8 May: A Confederate Army force under General Quincy T. Harris attacks Fort Brennand under cover of night and massacres the Union Army garrison.
• July: Leopold Strauss arrives in New York with his uncle.

1864

• Birth of Agnes Dowd.^[2]
• Birth of A.J. Martin.^[29]
• Death of Joseph Charlesworth, of unknown cause.^[2]
• The Battle of Scarlett Meadows occurs at Bolger Glade in Lemoyne. Despite suffering massive casualties, Confederate troops successfully repel a major Union Army offensive. General Quincy T. Harris participates in the battle.
• A Confederate soldier known only as Corporal Garfield dies during the Battle of Scarlett Meadows.
• The Confederate Submarine, the H. L. Hunley, sinks losing 8 men.^[44]
• June: An unknown slave is captured by Compson and held in his basement.^[45]
• 24 August: Death of Esther Sinclair, of unknown cause.^[14]

1865

• Birth of Joaquín Arroyo.^[46]
• Death of Olive Shipley, of unknown cause.^[14]
• Death of Edgar and Lila Shelton, struck by a lightning bolt.^[18]
• The American Civil War concludes, with the Union victorious over the Confederacy. Lemoyne and other seceded states are subsequently readmitted to the United States of America.

1866

• Birth of Bill Williamson.
• Birth of James Jacob Somers.^[19]
• Birth of Lupe del Valle.^[35]
• Birth of Barbarella Alcazar.^[47]
• Death of Philip J. Greenup, of unknown cause.^[19]
• Otis Miller and his gang commit the first train robbery in history.
• 13 September: Death of Georgia Dobbs, killed by a falling oak tree.^[14]

1867

• Birth of Glen Yeatman.^[17]
• Birth of Hamilton Murphy, brother of Jeb Murphy.^[21]
• Birth of Obediah Graves.^[19]
• Birth of Andreas Müller.^[48]
• Death of Magdalene Dalton, of unknown cause..^[8]
• Kuo Chao & Co. is founded.
• Dynamite is invented by Alfred Nobel.^[15]

1868

• Birth of Louisa Keane.^[8]
• Birth of Mary Dutton.^[14]
• Birth of Jimmy Hawson.^[17]
• Birth of Louisa Warthington, wife of Ray Warthington.^[18]
• Death of Elsie Feeney, wife of Harvey Feeney, of unknown cause.^[13]
• Death of Harvey Feeney, via suicide by gunshot.^[13]
• 12 March: Birth of Johannah Malloy.^[8]
• 4 November: Death of an unknown individual buried in Odd Fellow's Rest, of unknown cause.^[18]

1869

• Birth of Molly Malloy.^[8]
• Birth of Jessie Yeatman.^[17]
• Birth of Harold MacDougal.^[26]
• Birth of Javier Villaverde.^[35]
• The town of Annesburg, a coal mining settlement first built by German settlers around the turn of the century, is officially founded.^[49]
• The first transcontinental railroad is built.^[50]
• Blackley Hotel is established.

1870s

1870

• The start of the "Picturesque Period". Many stories and legends from this period were later adapted to motion pictures in the 1910s.
• Dutch van der Linde leaves his childhood home in Pennsylvania.
• Beatrice Morgan sits for a formal photographic portrait in the town of Spring Rocks.^[51]
• The Saint Denis Police Department headquarters is built.
• 2 April: Jeremiah Compson is fired from the Ascension Plantation and the Central Union Railroad Company.^[52]

1871

• Dubonnet Musical Instruments is established.

1872

• Birth of Mr. Pickering, brother of Lewis Pickering.^[21]
• Birth of Houston Greenup.^[19]
• Earliest possible date for Seth Briars's birth.^[26]
• Death of Esther Leroux, of unknown cause.^[2]

1873

• Birth of John Marston.^[53]
• Death of John Marston's mother, died during childbirth.^[54][55]
• 12 October: Death of Beatrice Picket, unknown cause.^[14]
• 12 October: Death of Stanley Pollard, unknown cause.^[14]
• 15 November: Death of Ellen Nugent, to an epileptic fit.^[18]

1874

• Birth of Lucile Riggs.^[19]
• The Lemoyne Raiders are founded.
• Professional figure skater Felix Hawley loses his right leg.
• Lyle Morgan is arrested for larceny.
• 19 May: Death of Doris Mosley, of unknown cause.^[14]

1875

• Birth of Gertrude Barber.^[14]
• Birth of Coline LeBleu.^[2]
• Latest possible date for Seth Briars's birth.^[26]
• Death of David Douglas, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Catherine Calloway, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Ada Stillman, choked on a fishbone.^[14]
• 15 June: Death of Simon Dalton, of unknown cause.^[8]
• 11 December: Death of Samantha Worth, of unknown cause.^[8]

1876

• Birth of August Walker.^[8]
• Birth of Butch Somers.^[19]
• Birth of Sam Odessa.^[56]
• Death of James Jacob Somers, of unknown cause.^[19]
• After a bloody coup, Francisco Ramirez Torres becomes President of Mexico.
• Frank Heck travels through The Heartlands, signing his name on Register Rock.
• 8 January: Death of Gideon Knox, from an orgy with six women.^[21]
• 11 January: Death of Juan Calomarde, of unknown cause.^[35]
• 23 March: Death of an unnamed revolutionary buried in Sepulcro, of unknown cause.^[35]
• April: Death of Maggie Calloway, of unknown cause.^[8]

1877

• Birth of Abigail Marston.^[53]
• Birth of Vincente de Santa.^[35]
• Birth of Norman Deek.^[57]
• Micah Bell Jr. and Micah Bell III murder Roscoe and Jean Briggs in Crawford County, Ohio. A $10 bounty is posted for the pair's capture.^[58]
• 9 March: Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews escape from prison in Kettering, Ohio after being arrested for defrauding local residents out of a total of $300.
• Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews meet and recruit the orphaned Arthur Morgan, marking the beginning of what would one day be known as the Van der Linde gang.

1878

• Birth of Ellie Boone.^[14]
• Birth of Fred Peagler.^[18]
• Birth of Lydia Grubb, wife of Eldin Grubb.^[21]
• Birth of Oscar Hamnen.^[29]
• Death of Rosie Tenerton, of unknown cause.^[21]
• Archibald MacGregor visits his aunt in Paris, France
• 1 April: Death of Josephine Byrd, of unknown cause.^[21]

1879

• Birth of Kit Skaggs.^[14]
• Birth of Harold Thornton.^[14]
• Birth of Nelly Dillard, wife of Warren Dillard.^[21]
• Birth of Isabeau Katharina Zinsmeister.
• Death of August Walker, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Mabel Bryars, of unknown cause.^[18]
• Otis Miller travels through The Heartlands, signing his name on Register Rock.
• Officer Henry Jenkins of Saint Denis marries an unknown woman.^[59]
• 14 March:
  • Death of Harriet and Clara Douglas, of unknown cause.^[8]
  • Death of Lucile Riggs, of unknown cause.^[19]
• 10 May: Death of Samuel Makepeace, of unknown cause.^[14]

1880s

1880

• Birth of Lenny Summers.
• Birth of Bridget and Mary Dunn.^[8]
• Birth of Lester Scranton.^[29]
• Birth of Earl Errington.^[57]
• Latest possible birth date of the Red Dead Online protagonist.
• Blackwater Hotel and Restaurant is established.
• 26 May: Death of Emma Crawford, of unknown cause.^[14]
• 28 September: Death of Samuel Worth, of unknown cause.^[8]

1881

• Birth of Hank MacFarlane.^[21]
• Birth of Walton Lowe.
• Birth of Isabel Feaney.^[19]
• Birth of Abraham Reyes.^[26]
• Birth of Stewart Burke.^[29]
• Death of John Marston's father, of a cause presumably related to his alcoholism.^[60][61]
• Death of Abe Shackleford, of unknown cause.^[19]
• Death of Greta van der Linde, of unknown cause.^[14]
• Dr. Ben Calloway obtains his medical license.
• MacFarlane's Ranch is established by Drew MacFarlane on unsettled land.
• 27 October: Death of Charlotte Eaves, of unknown cause.^[18]

1882

• Birth of an unnamed thief, later buried in The Blackwater Church of Holy Ascension.^[14]
• Death of Merrietta Banks, of unknown cause.^[13]
• Emmet Granger is sighted at the Beaver Brook Massacre.
• Around this time Slim Grant kills Ged Calloway.
• The Chinese Exclusion Act is created.^[62]
• 17 March: Birth of Owen MacFarlane.^[21]
• 27 June: Death of Elenora Riddick, of unknown cause.^[19]

1883

• Birth of Gus MacFarlane.^[21]
• Birth of Joseph Holton.^[29]
• Birth of Betsie Errington.^[57]
• Death of Dorothy Hewitt, of unknown cause.^[18]
• Death of Roberto de la Fuente, of unknown cause.^[35]
• An eclipse occurres which famously blindes a man named Stretch Hawthorn. The story is later adapted to a motion picture in 1911.
• Several large snowstorms hit the Grizzlies.^[63]
• August: Pleasance is founded.
• September: Hosea and Bessie Matthews have a formal photograph taken of them together.
• 4 September: Death of Agnes Dowd, hanged herself from a tree in Bluewater Marsh.^[2]
• 17 September: The Pleasance Massacre occurs, leaving 10 locals dead:^[17]
  • Death of Leora Yeatman, by gunshot.
  • Death of Jessie Yeatman, murdered.
  • Death of Ronald Yeatman, by gunshot.
  • Death of Asa Hawson, found murdered.
  • Death of Amelia Curley, by gunshot to the head.
  • Death of Jimmy Hawson, by knife wound.
  • Death of Daniel Curley, murdered.
  • Death of Glen Yeatman, by knife wound.
  • Death of Curtis Baines, murdered.
  • Death of Edmund Tobin, by gunshot.
• 18 October: Death of Minerva Pratt, of fever.^[14]

1884

• Birth of Ethan^[21] and Bonnie MacFarlane.^[26]
• Birth of Gustavo Obregon.^[35]
• Birth of Antonio De La Cueva.^[35]
• Death of Hector Fellowes Sr.^[12]
• Birth of Willie Feaney.^[57]
• The Great Storm of 1884 takes place in Ambarino, resulting in the abandonment of Colter.
• Arthur is tasked with catching fish for camp, only to buy them instead. Dutch later learns of this.
• 29 April: Death of Henry Crenshaw, of unknown cause.^[19]
• June: Princess Isabeau Katharina Zinsmeister of Luxembourg disappears during a royal visit to the United States.

1885

• John Marston joins the Van der Linde gang.^[60]
• Birth of Irish.^[26]
• Birth of Travis Glover.^[14]
• 26 January: Death of Matilda Brines.^[14]
• 3 June: Death of Elijah Liggons, shot dead by his wife's lover.^[14]

1886

• Death of Eugene Dunn, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Bridget and Mary Dunn, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Coline LeBleu, of unknown cause.^[2]
• Death of Obediah Graves, hanged for a murder which, according to his gravestone, he did not commit.^[19]
• The Laidlaw family dissappears. Emmet Granger is rumored to have been involved.
• 3rd Street Hardware opens in Blackwater.
• Miracle Horse Reviver is invented.
• 20 February: Death of Betsy Glover, accidently killed herself.^[19]
• 12 May: Death of Stephen Banks, of unknown cause.^[13]
• 8 July: Death of Carmen Galindo, mother of Leon Galindo, of unknown cause.^[35]
• 4 October: Death of Phyllis Shodlow, of unknown cause.^[14]
• 2 November: Death of Calvin Draper, killed by a criminal.^[21]

1887

• Birth of Charlotte Lauterback.^[14]
• Birth of Hattie Tanner.^[19]
• Death of Pearl Palmer, of broken heart.^[14]
• Death of Dwight Bundy, of unknown cause.^[21]
• Death of Lupe del Valle, of unknown cause.^[35]
• 15 April: The Lee and Hoyt Banking House is robbed by Arthur Morgan, Hosea Matthews, and Dutch van der Linde.^[64]
• 19 May: Death of Johannah Malloy, of unknown cause.^[8]
• 28 June: Death of Colonel Thurston Pope, accidentally shot himself.^[14]
• 10 October: Death of Bryon Vickers, in a duel in New Austin.^[18]

1888

• Birth of Alberto Nurseries.^[35]
• Death of Louis Breax, of unknown cause.^[2]
• 9 April: Death of General Quincy T. Harris.
• 18 August: Death of Felix Hawley.^[65]

1889

• Birth of Zachariah Worth.^[8]
• Birth of Michele Jardoin.^[2]
• Death of Albert Calloway, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Victoria Malloy, mother of Curtis Malloy, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Annie Worth, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Eldon Crabb Sr., of unknown cause.^[14]
• Death of Ira Somers, presumably from syphilis.^[18]
• The Prancing Fox Brand, a company selling socks, is established.
• Colm O'Driscoll founds the O'Driscoll Boys.^[66]
• June: Death of Darragh MacGuire, killed by British agents in Boston.^[41]
• 29 November: Death of Sergeant Joseph Drummond, of unknown cause.^[18]

1890s

1890

• Death of Damita Ravarre, of unknown cause.^[2]
• Death of Molly Malloy, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Wanda Fellowes, of unknown cause.^[12]
• Emmet Granger is suspected in the Chapparal killings.
• 10 January: Death of Myra Leathers, of unknown cause.^[14]

1891

• Birth of Carlos Bonavides.^[35]
• Death of Delilah Gaskell, of unknown cause.^[14]
• 23 June: Death of Jack Greenwood, of unknown cause.^[21]
• 12 July: Death of Theodore Kilbane, of unknown cause.^[21]
• 29 September: Death of an unnamed young black male, buried at The Blackwater Church of Holy Ascension, of unknown cause.^[14]

1892

• Birth of Luisa Fortuna.^[26]
• Birth of Mary Shackleford.^[57]
• Death of Patrick Keane, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Zachariah Worth, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Hoover Cowan, of unknown cause.^[18]
• Death of Javier Villaverde, of unknown cause.^[35]
• Maggie Fike's moonshine operation is shut down by Reid Hixon.
• 25 August: Death of Truman Briggs, murdered by his wife.^[19]
• 27 December: Bill Williamson is dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army.

1893

• Death of Sarah Worth, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Bill Williamson attempts to rob Dutch van der Linde, and is subsequently inducted into the gang.
• The Panic of 1893 begins, resulting in JD McKnight and others selling gold to the US Treasury.
• Charlotte Balfour marries Cal.
• The Cornwall City Railway is established by Leviticus Cornwall.^[67]
• Charles Kinnear invents the manned glider.
• 18 August: Death of Matilda Eaves, of unknown cause.^[18]
• 2 November: Death of an unnamed outlaw, buried at The Blackwater Church of Holy Ascension, of unknown cause.^[14]
• 8 December: Death of Hank MacFarlane, from tuberculosis.^[21]

1894

• Abigail Roberts joins the Van der Linde gang.
• Lenny Summers's father writes a letter to his son supporting him on his career as a lawyer.^[68]
• Emmet Granger turns witness on Fosse Gang, leading to their arrest.
• The Turbinia is unveiled in the United Kingdom, and is later bought by Leviticus Cornwall.^[69]
• 15 January: Death of Peter Turner, from a blow to the head.^[18]
• 3 March: Death of Willie Swenson, of unknown cause.^[14]
• 19 May: Death of an unnamed child buried in Sepulcro, of unknown cause.^[35]
• Summer: Javier Escuella murders a high-ranking officer of the Mexican Army^[70] in Punta Orgullo^[71] and flees to the United States.^[72][73]

1895

• The end of the "Picturesque Period". Many stories and legends from this period were later adapted to motion pictures in the 1910s.
• Birth of Jack Marston.^[74]
• Death of Honore Declouette, of unknown cause.^[2]
• Death of Lucy Dunn, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Nettie Mae Feeney, wife of Jasper Feeney, of unknown cause.^[13]
• Javier Escuella joins the Van der Linde gang.^[75]
• Emmet Granger retires to his hoggery, granted by the federal government.
• 3 April: Tavish Gray receives a letter from Edinburgh University historian Malcolm Moffat revealing that his ancestor Ross Gray was not an exiled Jacobite as he had believed, but a spy for the Duke of Cumberland who had been forced to flee Scotland to escape the Jacobites' reprisals against informers.^[76]
• 12 October: Death of Estella Blankenship, of unknown cause.^[19]
• 18 November: Under the order of Judge Meredith Holden, the Bank of Rhodes seizes ownership of Compson's Stead.^[77]

1896

• Death of the Butcher Brothers, killed in a gunfight with Landon Ricketts.^[78]
• Death of Archilles Chevelier, of unknown cause.^[2]
• John Marston deserts the Van der Linde gang.
• Philip Carlier goes on the run after embezzling Castille Cotton Company funds and murdering a fellow employee.
• National Bureau of Criminal Identification is founded by the National Chiefs of Police Union.
• The Wapiti Indians sign a treaty with the U.S. Government.
• 23 June: Death of Owen MacFarlane, to chronic diarrhea.^[21]
• 3 August: Death of William 'Willie' Bowles.^[13]
• 12 August: Death of Gideon Bennett, Ira Bennett, and Earl Bennett, who killed each other in a dispute over gold.
• 7 September: Jake and Sadie Adler marry.

1897

• Death of Louisa Keane, of unknown cause.^[8]
• Death of Clinton Underwood, of unknown cause.^[14]
• Death of Michele Jardoin, of unknown cause.^[2]
• Death of Samson Forth, of unknown cause.^[19]
• John Marston returns to the Van der Linde gang.
• Leigh Johnson becomes the marshal of Armadillo.
• The Blackwater Restaurant is established.
• President Alfred MacAlister approves the finalized demarcation lines for the states of New Hanover, Lemoyne, Ambarino, West Elizabeth, and New Austin.
• Ike Skelding becomes a feared bounty hunter in the Commonwealth of West Elizabeth.
• 23 May: Death of Francis Moon, brother of Herbert Moon, killed by Walton Lowe.^[21]
• 16 September: Death of an unnamed cowboy buried at Coot's Chapel, of unknown cause.^[21]

1898

• Birth of Florence Snyder.
• Death of Gertrude Barber.^[14]
• Death of Larry Chambers, husband of Mavis Chambers, of unknown cause.^[19]
• Virgil Edwards establishes the Seventh Generation Cult
• Death of Philip LeClerk by gunshot, leading to the events of Red Dead Online.
• 18 March: Death of Hattie Tanner, of unknown cause.
• August: Death of Joshua Burgess at Emerald Ranch.
• Fall: Nigel West Dickens is chased out of Annesburg for selling snake oil laced with opium.^[79][80]
• November: A young man named Miles writes an angry letter to his elderly mother over the identity of his father.^[81]
• 9 November: Cornwall Kerosene & Tar and the Leland Oil Development Company sign a $2,000 agreement to explore the Wapiti Indian Reservation for oil.^[82]
• The Spanish-American War occurs. Of note, Colonel Thaddeus Waxman captures San Juan Hill in Guarma.^[83]
• Charles Smith, Jenny Kirk, and Lenny Summers join the Van der Linde gang.
• December: Micah Bell saves Dutch van der Linde during a bar fight at Crenshaw Hills after the latter’s attempt to sell some stolen gold went wrong. Bell is subsequently inducted into the Van der Linde gang.

1899

• The Wilder Publishing Company publishes the Atlas of the United States of America 1899. This edition features maps of the states of New Hanover, Lemoyne, Ambarino, West Elizabeth, and New Austin compiled and drawn by cartographer N.J. Worthingham.
• An outbreak of Scarlet Fever occurs in Armadillo.
• Irish flees to the United States after being caught in bed with his brother's wife. On the boat to America he meets Leander Holland and Alwyn Lloyd.
• Leviticus Cornwall begins the acquisition of the Jameson Mining and Coal Company of Annesburg.^[84]
• The M1899 is manufactured by Peeters & Janssens.
• April: The Blackwater Massacre occurs, during which Heidi McCourt is killed by Dutch van der Linde.^[85]
• May-June: The main setting of Arthur Morgan's part in Red Dead Redemption 2.^[86]
  • The Wapiti Indians abandon Wapiti Indian Reservation in Ambarino and flee to Canada to avoid retaliation for the razing of Cornwall Kerosene & Tar.
  • Dissolution of the Van der Linde gang at Beaver Hollow.

Click to show story-related deaths.

Death of Davey Callander; died from a gunshot wound sustained in the Blackwater Massacre. Death of Jenny Kirk; died from gunshot wounds sustained in the Blackwater Massacre. Death of Mac Callander; "mercy" killed by Pinkerton Agent Andrew Milton. Death of Jake Adler; killed by O'Driscolls. Death of Thomas Downes; died of tuberculosis. Death of Sean McGuire; shot by a Gray gunman. Death of Archibald MacGregor; shot by Arthur Morgan or Micah Bell. Death of Leigh Gray; shot by Arthur Morgan or Micah Bell. Death of Catherine Braithwaite; self-immolation. Death of Kieran Duffy; beheaded by the O'Driscolls. Death of Angelo Bronte; drowned by Dutch van der Linde. Death of Hosea Matthews; shot by Andrew Milton. Death of Lenny Summers; shot by Pinkertons. Death of Alberto Fussar; killed by Arthur Morgan. Death of Molly O'Shea; shot by Susan Grimshaw. Death of Leviticus Cornwall; shot by Dutch van der Linde. Death of Colm O'Driscoll; hanged by Saint Denis Police Department in Saint Denis. Death of Colonel Henry Favours; shot by Arthur Morgan. Death of Eagle Flies; died from fatal gunshot wound sustained from Colonel Henry Favours. Death of Andrew Milton; shot in the head by Abigail Roberts. Death of Susan Grimshaw; shot by Micah Bell. Death of Arthur Morgan; died from tuberculosis or killed by Micah Bell, from either a knife wound or a gunshot to the head.

• 26 July: Death of Cole MacFarlane, from a gunshot to the head.^[21]
• 12 August: Death of Rose Beasley.^[14]
• 7 November: Death of Oscar Palomares, of unknown cause.^[35]

1900s

1900

• Death of Butch Somers, hanged for his crimes as a horse thief by his own rope.^[19]
• 24 July: Death of Maybelle Fordham, mother of Archer Fordham, of unknown cause.^[14]

1901

• Basilio Aguirre Olmos de la Vargas begins his 10 year search for his great-great-grandfathers treasure.^[87]
• Patrick MacFarlane leaves MacFarlane's Ranch to become a banker in New York.^[88]
• Death of Mary Dutton, of unknown cause.^[14]
• Death of Herbert Forth, father of Moses Forth, of unknown cause.^[19]
• Death of Walter Pettigrew, the founder of Manzanita Post, of unknown cause.
• presumed assassination of Alfred MacAlister.
• 21 August: Death of Rosalie Tanner, of unknown cause.^[18]
• 16 September: Death of Antonio De La Cueva, of unknown cause.^[35]

1902

• After a gunfight in eastern California, Landon Ricketts moves from the United States to Mexico, eventually settling in the town of Chuparosa.
• An outbreak of hookworm occurs in the coal mines of France, Germany, and Belgium.^[89]
• Death of David and Muriel Purvis, parents of Cyril Purvis, of unknown cause.^[14]
• Death of Alberto Nurseries, of unknown cause.^[35]
• A bicycle model (later branded the "1902 Model") was produced and sold by the Blue Head Wonder Coaster company.

1903

• Birth of Ralph Anderson.
• Death of Ethan MacFarlane, after irritating a bull.^[21]
• Death of Hamilton Murphy, brother of Jeb Murphy, of unknown cause.
• Death of Ulysses Howard.^[14]
• The infamous Irving Factory Explosion occurred, killing over 400 child workers.
• 18 March: Death of an unnamed thief, buried in The Blackwater Church of Holy Ascension, of unknown cause.^[14]
• 23 April: Death of Priscilla Johnson, wife of Leigh Johnson, of unknown cause.^[21]
• 21 October: Death of Dolores Falcon, of unknown cause.^[35]

1904

• 29 April: Death of Lincoln Crenshaw, of unknown cause.^[19]
• 2 June: Death of Fred Peagler, presumably from a brawl.^[18]
• The United States takes over construction of the Panama Canal from France.

1905

• Death of Kit Skaggs, of unknown cause.^[14]
• Death of Louisa Warthington, wife of Ray Warthington, of unknown cause.^[18]
• Death of Isabel Feaney, of unknown cause.^[19]
• Death of Houston Greenup, in a duel.^[19]
• The Skinner Brothers move into Tall Trees.
• 15 January: Death of Ellie Boone, of unknown cause.^[14]
• 25 February: Death of Quincy Brogles, by gunshot.^[18]
• 15 March: Death of Ambrose Lee, of unknown cause.^[14]
• 4 August: Death of Gus MacFarlane, killed in a bar fight.^[21]

1906

• Dutch van der Linde is rumored to have died in a fire following a failed robbery.^[90]
• 25 May: Death of Jane Scranton, of unknown cause.^[14]
• 8 September: Death of an unnamed woman, buried in the First Congregational Church of Tumbleweed, suicide.^[19]
• 9 September: Death of Joshua Benning, of unknown cause.^[14]
• 6 November: Death of Freda Dunbar, wife of Oswald Dunbar.^[14]

1907

• Death of Charlotte Lauterback, of unknown cause.^[14]
• Death of Travis Glover, of unknown cause.^[14]
• Death of Mr. Pickering, brother of Lewis Pickering, by gunshot.^[21]
• Death of Gustavo Obregon, of unknown cause.^[35]
• Construction begins on Blackwater Plaza and the First National Bank of Blackwater in Blackwater.
• Armadillo experiences an outbreak of Cholera.
• The Panic of 1907 occurs.^[91]
• 15 May: Death of Grace Blankenship, wife of Jeb Blankenship, of unknown cause.^[19]
• c. March-June: The main setting of John Marston's part in Red Dead Redemption 2.^[92]
  • President Thaddeus Waxman appoints Colonel William Thomas Kirchner as the chief engineer of the Panama Canal project.^[93]
  • The Bureau of Investigation is founded, and Edgar Ross is appointed Director.
  • John and Abigail marry at Beecher's Hope.

Click to show story-related deaths.
Death of Cleet; either hanged by John Marston or shot by Sadie Adler. Death of Joe; shot by John Marston. Death of Micah Bell; jointly shot dead by Dutch van der Linde and John Marston. Death of Evelyn Miller.

1908

• Death of Mordecai Robbard.^[14]
• Death of Nelly Dillard, wife of Warren Dillard, of unknown cause.^[21]
• 11 April: Death of Lambert Henning, hit by a train.^[18]

1909

• Death of Lydia Grubb, wife of Eldin Grubb, of unknown cause.^[21]
• Death of Carlos Bonavides, of unknown cause.^[35]
• 23 February: Death of Orla Gaston, hit by a car.^[14]
• 14 August: Death of Alejandro Fortuna, killed by the Mexican Army.^[35]
• 19 November: Death of Hart Cummings, from a respiratory illness.^[18]

1910s

1910

• Death of Mr. Braithwaite, of an unknown cause.
• Ignacio Sanchez overthrows his brother in yet another bloody coup and becomes President of Mexico.
• Crops in New Austin were ruined by an unknown personnel, and farmers were forced to sell their lands at a cheap price. The culprit behind this was rumored to be Jeremiah Somerset.
• The map of the frontier, later used by John Marston in 1911 and passed on to his son Jack Marston, was drawn.

1911

• 25 March: The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire occurs in New York City, the southwest hears news of this disaster sometime later.
• May: Professor Harold MacDougal begins residing in Blackwater to study the local Native Americans.
• October: The Mexican Revolution led by Abraham Reyes to overthrow General Ignacio Sanchez begins.
• John, Abigail, and Jack Marston are detained by the Bureau of Investigation.
• October-November: The main setting of John Marston's part in Red Dead Redemption.^[94]
  • John Marston arrives aboard the Morningstar steamer at Blackwater and is escorted by BOI agents Edgar Ross and Archer Fordham to a train bound for New Austin to begin hunting for his former gang members.
  • Birth of Francis Leonard Errington.^[95]
  • Nate Johns is elected state governor of West Elizabeth.
  • Dissolution of the Williamson gang and Dutch's Gang.

Click to show story-related deaths.

Death of Walton Lowe, who is either killed by John Marston or executed for his crimes. Death of Mary Shackleford and Willie Feaney, killed in the Ridgewood Farm Massacre. Death of Leander Holland and Alwyn Lloyd, killed by John Marston. Death of Norman Deek, killed in a gunfight at Tumbleweed by his own gang's crossfire. Death of Andreas Müller, The Stranger and Raul Zubieta, shot in duels with John Marston. Death of Manolo Santander, killed by either John Marston or Landon Ricketts. Death of Espinoza, killed by John Marston. Death of Mr. Fortuna, father of Luisa Fortuna, executed by the Mexican Army. Death of Vincente de Santa, executed by either John Marston or Reyes' Rebels. Death or apprehension of Javier Escuella, killed or apprehended by John Marston or executed by United States authorities following extradition. Death of Luisa Fortuna, fatally shot by Major Raul Zubieta and the Mexican Army. Death of Bill Williamson and Agustin Allende, killed by either John Marston or Abraham Reyes. Death of Muriel Scranton, held hostage and shot by Dutch van der Linde. Death of Harmon Weinstein, killed in a car crash while held hostage by Dutch van der Linde. Death of Nastas, shot in the head by Enepay. Death of Dutch van der Linde, committed suicide after his hideout was attacked by the US Army. Death of Uncle, shot by the US Army. Death of John Marston, shot by a firing squad of US Army soldiers, U.S. Marshals and Edgar Ross.

Click to show Undead Nightmare events and story-related deaths (These Events are considered either Non-Canon or a separate Canon)

November: The main setting of John Marston's part in Undead Nightmare. Death of Uncle, turned into an Undead and shot by John Marston in Beecher's Hope. Death of Harold MacDougal, turned into an Undead and shot by John Marston in Blackwater. Death of Jonah and Eli, turned into Undead and shot by John Marston in Armadillo. Death of Abraham Reyes, turned into an Undead and shot by John Marston in Escalera. Death of John Marston, killed by unknown means and later became an Undead.

• After being absent for 6 months, Professor Harold MacDougal returns to Yale University.
• Landon Ricketts returns to the United States.^[78]

1912

• A flying machine is supposedly being brought to the U.S. for a demonstration.

1913

• Edgar Ross retires from the Bureau of Investigation.^[96]
• Professor Harold MacDougal publishes a thesis declaring the impossibility of taming a savage man.

1914

• 28 July: Austria-Hungary declare war on Serbia, marking the start of World War I in Europe.
• October: President Abraham Reyes orders the execution of thousands of peaceful protestors in a village south of Mexico City.^[97]
• Leigh Johnson resigns the position of Marshal of Armadillo.^[98]
• Seth Briars finds treasure in Tall Trees.
• Jeb Blankenship marries his love, Lucy.
• Harold MacDougal is expelled from Yale University.
• Governor Nate Johns takes an extended vacation in Canada amidst scandals.
• November: The main setting of Jack Marston's part in Red Dead Redemption.^[99]

Click to show story-related deaths.
Death of Abigail Marston, of unknown causes. Death of Irish, shot himself accidentally while in an outhouse. Death of Landon Ricketts, passed away quietly in his sleep.[78] Death of Edgar Ross, killed in a duel with Jack Marston.

Miscellaneous

• Harrison Cherry's gravestone in 1911 writes that he dies on December 7, 1968.^[14]

Apparently this could be a very elaborate Beatles reference. To wit: In 1968, Eric Clapton gave George Harrison a cherry red guitar. At the time, Harrison was 25 (1943 + 25 = 1968) and Clapton was 23 (1945 + 23 = 1968), which averages to the age of 24. That guitar had serial numbers that corresponded to a batch that had shipped from a factory in a December, with 7 being the first number in the serial. Harrison then used the guitar through many of the Beatles' most famous works. See this page for more info on the guitar. Also, Harrison apparently named the guitar 'Lucy' in homage to comedienne Lucille Ball, and this could be why Jeb Blankenship's 'love' is named Lucy.

• Captain Maxwell Laskey died on August 24 in an unknown year. He was 31 when he died. He is mentioned briefly in a newspaper story at the end of Red Dead Redemption.

Historical Inaccuracies

The following is a comprehensive list of historical anachronisms in the Red Dead series (barring Revolver). While the games are set in fictional universes, many elements are derived from the real world as the game tries to create a loosely historical setting. A list of any deviations from historical records can be seen below:

Definite Anachronisms

These are historical inaccuracies that are verifiably inaccurate based on current historical records, and are not easily explainable:

General

• Most of the game's brands, locations, and characters are completely fictionalized for the sake of the game and as such there is no point to list every instance of this. The brands, locations, and characters do, however, tend to align closely with their real-life counterparts.
• The shootouts portrayed in the game's story are very heavily dramatized for the sake of gameplay, featuring hundreds of thousands of participants and hypothetical scenarios and murders that simply would've never occurred in the real world. Furthermore, surviving even a single bullet wound was rare let alone the thousands that are typically dished out during regular gameplay, and drinking health tonics or eating would very likely do no good compared to proper medical procedures- if you were lucky. Guns themselves were heavily regulated and somewhat uncommon for civilians in towns, even by 1899.
• Outlaw gangs were rare and much smaller in number as well, typically consisting of only a handful of members.
• Bounty hunting was extremely rare at the time, and there certainly were not large, organized groups that regularly engaged in it. Bounties that did exist could not simply be "paid off", though this might be seen as bribery, paying off fines, or bail which would not be an option for more severe crimes like murder.
• Most of the game's prices were heavily inflated and do not at all reflect what they were during the period the game is set.
• While store catalogs did exist, they were not used in the way the game portrays them. Small general stores did not need catalogs as the majority of their goods were readily on display. The game's catalogs are based off a mail order catalog, which would typically involve mailing in requests for items at the post office and having them be delivered by the distributor at a later time.
• Belt loops were not invented until the 1920s, though this inaccuracy was corrected in Red Dead Redemption 2.
• While only appearing in the UI, it's worth noting that 'animal cruelty' was not an officially recognized law during the game's time period. Terms like 'damaging of property' or 'disturbing the peace' would've likely been used, if the acts were to be reported.
• Kettering, Ohio, which is mentioned in a newspaper scrap, was not named as such until 1952.
• All Bighorn Sheep in the game have four teats, despite sheep having only two barring extremely rare mutations or deformities.
• The term 'Heartlands' was not used in the US until later in the 20th century.
• When the player brushes their horse, the process is heavily simplified in the form of simply brushing over their neck a few times.
• Realistically, the player should not actually have to manually feed their horse to keep them alive and healthy. Horses get the majority of their food from forage and hay, with feed making up only a small, supplementary part of their diet and regular feeding does not typically consist of things like just carrots, apples, etc.
• The player's carrying capacity goes far beyond what they should realistically be able to carry, likely for the sake of gameplay.
• Red Dead Online features heavy anachronisms in regards to styles of clothing, equipment, equal treatment of the player character with disregard to their gender or race, and most of the aforementioned inaccuracies in regards to bounty hunting, outlaws, shootouts, etc.

Military

• Colonel Favors wears the insignia of a brigadier general.
• While Monroe is referred to as a captain, his shoulder board rank insignia indicates the grade of a first lieutenant.
• While the soldiers stationed at Fort Wallace in 1907 still wear blue uniforms, the U.S Army's General Order No. 81 in 1902 had long since eliminated blue as a color for service dress, being replaced by olive drab and khaki.
• The usage of the Montana Peak campaign hats in 1899 and 1907 is anachronistic as soldiers would have worn the M1883/1889 pattern felt campaign hat. The Montana Peak design was not formally adopted until 1911.
• Despite being commonly used by them in Redemption 2, the Winchester 1866 was never used by the military, they would've likely used Krag-Jørgensens instead.

Vehicles

• Historically, trains had a conductor and fireman. Despite this, there are no firemen in either game and the conductor is never seen taking the tickets of the train passengers.
• The trains in Redemption are fueled by wood during a time when coal would have been the primary fuel source.
• Tenders (the car behind the locomotive) had a majority of their space dedicated to a water tank, which forms the body of the car.
• In Redemption, the bogies of both the locomotive and rolling stock are Bettendorf style and used exclusively on freight cars. Additionally, most steam locomotives have inside-bearing lead (front) tucks, meaning from the outside, only the wheels would be visible. In addition, the bogies contain Timken roller bearings which were not in use until the 1930s. Historically accurate trains from 1911 would have plain/friction journal bearings. More than likely, in at least the instance of the locomotive, the choice to reuse the common freight truck as the pilot truck was a time-saving measure. Also, the large box-shaped kerosene headlamps were entirely obsolete by 1911 and in real life would have been replaced by smaller electric headlights.
• Although train stations have water towers, they are never used; in real life steam locomotives took on necessary water at every stop.
• The game's locomotives continually belch clouds of black smoke; steam engines in reality only do so when under heavy load, such as climbing grades or accelerating.
• The cars on the trains in Red Dead Redemption are not properly in order. In real life the order would likely be boxcars, baggage car, passenger cars, caboose. Passenger cars were placed at the rear to minimize their exposure to smoke.
• The railway tracks west of the Hennigan's Stead tunnel and north past Annesburg are too steep for a real life railroad.
• In the mission "The Great Mexican Train Robbery", after Marston disconnects the rear cars they roll away down the grade; in a train equipped with Westinghouse air brakes, as nearly all trains were by 1911 and which can be heard when a game train starts and stops, the car's brakes would have been automatically locked.

Props

• In Sonny's shack, there is a newspaper article from the Vietnam War in 1960 detailing planes that did not exist at the time.
• While pallets existed, the pallet design most commonly used in the game was not adopted until forklifts became widely used after WW2.
• One of the operas that Molly listens to on the gramophone in Dutch’s tent is Madama Butterfly, which was released in 1904. The aria “Un Bel Dí Vedremo” plays in Chapter 3.

Weapons

• When shooting a gun, the bullet will leave a long trail behind it, which would be unrealistic for any gun at the time. This feature was added simply for the sake of gameplay.
• The Browning Auto-5 would not have been for sale commercially in 1899, as it was still an unfinished prototype up until 1902.
• The Sawed-Off Shotgun would not have been for sale commercially at any point. This isn't an issue in Red Dead Redemption as only the shady Thieves' Landing Gunsmith sells the weapon.
• Some of the weapons in the game are dated enough to where they would not see such heavy use and commercial distribution, such as the Henry Repeating Rifle.
• The Borchardt C-93 in both games was extremely rare and would have been very unlikely to be sold commercially; and it doesn't use bottlenecked rounds like it's supposed to. The second game's catalog description mentions use by the military, but this was never the case and is likely a false claim by the company. The only such adopted weapons in reality were the transitional Borchardt-Luger, and subsequent Luger pistols, which were advancements on the original C-93 design. In the first game, the C-93 held 7 rounds instead of the proper 8.
• The Navy Revolver had much worse stats and was outdated by 1898, and as such it is extremely unlikely it would be sold by commercial retailers. The hammer is correctly set at half-cock when reloaded, but not when dual-wielding.
  • The inspiration for the Navy Revolver, which is stated in-game to be produced from 1853, comes from the Colt 1851 Navy, and parts from the Remington New Model Army/Navy, which was patented in 1858.
• The Schofield in the second game could not be "fanned" like other revolvers due to its trigger mechanism, and the auto-ejector inaccurately only ejects fired rounds. The catalog references unauthorized copies of the revolver in other parts of the world, though in reality this was the case with the Smith & Wesson Model 3, the basis for the Schofield model.
• The Colt M1892 double-action's ejector also cannot selectively dispose of fired rounds like the in-game Schofield,
• When reloading the Colt SAA, the gun is uncocked when it has to be at half-cock in order to rotate the cylinder.
• When the Mauser is initially drawn in the second game, it is able to fire with the hammer uncocked. The cartridges do not appear to be the expected 7.63x25mm Mauser rounds, and in the first game it holds 10 rounds instead of 15 and fires fully-automatically, which was not a thing until the late 1920s.
• The Volcanic's stats in both games are extremely off. In reality, it was an extremely weak and impractical weapon. It was also very rare, meaning it would not have been for sale at retailers at the time. Production of the Volcanic repeater never advanced into a metallic cartridge-firing gun. The closest real-life example is the Italian "Venditti" copy, of which a few hundred were built, and some were chambered for cartridges.
• The LeMat was an extremely rare and outdated weapon (its stats, especially the reload, were heavily increased to make it viable) and would not have been sold by retailers. In the first game, it is a top-break which is not accurate for the time.
• The Carcano's model is based off a Carcano M91/38, which did not exist until 1938. It is also only used as a sniper rifle, which would be somewhat impractical given its range and the full clip is always loaded in the second game regardless of whether or not the player has expended all of its loaded ammunition or is carrying less than the depicted 6 in a full clip. In the first game, it holds one less shot and features a straight bolt handle and scope mounted directly above the action wich would make it difficult to insert its Mannlicher-style clips, as well as a duplex reticle which did not see use at the time.
• The ammo capacity of the Varmint Rifle is 14, while real Model 1890s (depending on the .22 cartridge it's chambered for) hold 10, 12, 15, or 22 rounds in the tube.
• The player loads six shells into the Repeating Shotgun, but one of these shells is supposed to be in the chamber due to its 5 + 1 capacity.
• The trigger guard on the Pump-Action Shotgun in the second game is taken from a 1912 model of the gun.
• The FN 1903 held 8 rounds instead of 7 in the magazine, and cannot be fanned like a single-action revolver. It also incorrectly has a slide stop on the left frame.
• The Evans in the first game only holds 22 rounds, instead of 26. In both games, the model used is outdated for the time period and likely would not have been available for sale commercially.
• The Explosive Rifle is based on a 1918 T-Gewehr anti-tank rifle, which did not exist at the time, nor was it available with high-explosive rounds.
• The Springfield Rifle in the first game incorrectly holds 4 rounds instead of 1, while in both games the rifle was given much better stats as it would have been extremely outdated at the time and would not have been for sale at commercial retailers. Eagle Flies uses the wrong animations for it in "My Last Boy", leading to oddities such as him firing two rounds consecutively from the gun which is not possible.
• The Browning Gun seen in Redemption is partly based off an M1917, which was not produced until 1917.
• The Maxim Gun seen in Redemption 2 is a model that was not invented until 1908.
• In both games, both machine guns and Smoothbore Field Guns never run out of ammunition regardless of how long they were fired for.
• Probably due to an animation oversight, the shells in the Hotchkiss Cannon don't move.
• Dual-wielding was rarely, if ever done during the game's time period, as it is generally far too difficult and impractical to accurately aim and fire two sidearms at once.
• When using gun oil, the process to clean the weapon is heavily simplified in the form of simply rubbing it over with a cloth.
• Unlike the player, NPCs have access to unlimited ammunition.
• Deadeye as it's portrayed in the games allows the player to shoot far beyond the level of any marksman at the time, and even in the modern day (while also replenishing the gun's cartridge automatically). Like with eagle eye, this could be seen as an artistic interpretation to help the player match Arthur and John's expected skill levels.
• Dynamite arrows, while possible to create, would've been extremely ineffective due to their weight and fuses.
• The sounds of nearly all guns deviate heavily from their real-world counterparts.
• Cartridges that are discharged from guns disappear almost immediately in Redemption, likely for performance reasons and to simplify animations.
• Weapons often teleport off of and onto the player's back when dismounting, and the player appears to be able to materialize weapons from out of thin air. This is likely done for the sake of gameplay.
  • For gameplay reasons, the player in Red Dead Redemption can carry their entire stash of weapons on their person, while only their currently equipped sidearm and longarm is physically represented on their back and waist holsters.
• In Red Dead Redemption, most weapons of their type share the same reload animations, leading to many inaccuracies with the way certain guns are reloaded.

Visual Gun Changes (W.I.P)

Possible Anachronisms

These are historical inaccuracies that cannot 100% verifiably be proven to be inaccurate, or are easily explainable:

General

• While the first Ku Klux Klan was founded in 1865, they were no longer active during the time period the game takes place and had died out by 1872. The Klan wouldn't emerge again until at least 1915, when the film The Birth of a Nation was released. Another anachronism is the depiction of the Ku Klux Klan burning crosses and their infamous white robes, as they would only become associated with them due to The Birth of a Nation. However, though unlikely, it's entirely possible that these controversial activities were still done in private and as a result no historical record was left behind.
• Texas Hold Em' may have existed as early as 1898, but was extremely uncommon at the time.
• Despite Milton's claim that the Pinkertons were being employed by the U.S. government, the Anti-Pinkerton act of 1893 forbid this. It's possible that Milton was simply lying about their employer to intimidate the gang.
• Dueling had long been outlawed by 1899, though in some circumstances the law may have turned a blind eye to it.
• The term 'moron' as an insult is used multiple times throughout the game, but wasn't officially used as such until 1910; though it is possible it could've been used as such before that time.
• The newspaper article "Bubonic Plague in San Francisco" lists the death toll of the San Francisco Earthquake as over 3,000, which is the modern estimate. At the time, it was reported as being around 500.
• Before Arthur speaks to Dutch at the beginning of "That's Murfree Country" Dutch is murmuring chess moves to himself, starting with White to d4 and Black to f5, an opening known as the Dutch Defence. He follows this up with its most popular continuation in modern times, but as there are no games recorded with this particular sequence of moves before 1931, this is arguably an anachronism. He is also describing the moves in algebraic notation ("White to d4"), which would not be popular in chess matches until the 1980s. He should be using descriptive notation instead ("White to Queen 4").
• The Bureau of Internal Revenue was not authorized to police bootlegging until 1919, though it is possible that they are either undercover agents or overstepping their formal allowances to pursue those violating the law.
• Certain hat and belt styles like the stetson, while they did exist at the time, were extremely uncommon during the game's time period.
• All-steel doghouse tenders on trains like the one Cornwall's private train uses were not officially manufactured until 1937, however, someone as wealthy as him may have been able to commission such a thing.
• Trains do not stop if they hit someone, which would have historically delayed a train for up to a week. However, the decision to stop would've been done at the discretion of the driver.

Animals

• The Turkoman/Turkmen breed went extinct long before the events of the games. However, Clay Davies is the only character who refers to the breed by name and they are easily confused with the very similar Akhal-Teke breed.
• The Ardennes/Ardennais breed was not officially imported to America until the 1920's. However, Clay is the only character who refers to the breed by name and it is very possible that there were numerous undocumented imports of the breed.
• The Dutch Warmblood breed did not exist until the 1960's. They are referred to by name on a cigarette card and by Clay, however, similar breeds like the Hanoverian Warmblood may have been referred to as 'Dutch Warmbloods' in the past.
• The Tersk breed did not exist until 1920, though all horses in Redemption use the same model and horse breeds are never mentioned outside of the UI, making it possible that this is either an ancestor or misnomer of the Tersk.
• The Appaloosa model appears to be based off the modern Appaloosa, which has become more of a diluted Quarter Horse: They were small, wiry ponies during the game's time period. This could be explained by the Appaloosas in the game actually being crossbreeds.
• While riding horses have stamina, horses that pull wagons inconsistently never run out of stamina.
• Predator behavior was also very overdone for the sake of gameplay as animals like wolves are rarely if ever recorded to have viciously killed a human being. Both bison and wolves had nearly been hunted to the point of extinction circa 1899, but are quite commonly seen throughout the game. The wildlife populations for most animals in general were drastically increased for the sake of gameplay as well.
• It is extremely unlikely that stallions would be used as frequently as they are during the game, as they would be periodically trying to get to the mares and fighting with other horses. This isn't to say they were not ridden at all, but geldings and mares would have been much more prevalent to prevent unwanted activity, especially when hitched in towns right next to stranger's horses. This isn't an issue in Red Dead Redemption, as all of the horses are mares.

Weapons

• Metallic shotgun shells were less efficient, and as such didn't see much as use after 1877 as the cheaper paper shell did.
• The use of the Bolt Action Rifle by the U.S. Army in 1911 is anachronistic, as the Springfield M1903 rifle had replaced the Krag–Jørgensen rifle in service. However, it might be possible that the U.S. Army seen in Red Dead Redemption still uses Krag–Jørgensens because they are clearly not a front-line unit, or even National Guard, which by 1911 had not been fully re-equipped with the M1903.
• The Colt SAA, Krag–Jørgensen, and Spencer 1865 were never standard issue weapons for the Cuban Military, making it unusual to see them being used on Guarma.
• The catalog claims the Krag–Jørgensen was used by the Belgium Military, but the rifle was never issued to them in the real world. It is possible that this is simply false advertising.
• Only 14,400 M1899s were ever produced, making it extremely unlikely they would be available for sale commercially. The gun is in actuality modelled after the period appropriate M1900, but holds 8 rounds instead of the real-life 7-round mag.
• The majority of NPCs in the game and the player fully load their revolvers, instead of leaving one empty chamber to align with the uncocked hammer. While not completely out of the question, the practice of keeping the hammer resting on a loaded chamber was considered dangerous and uncommon due to the possibility of accidental discharges, even for experienced gunmen.
• In the second game, NPCs will very often try to charge and tackle or shove the player from the front while grunting during a shootout, providing an easy shot on them. This is unorthodox behavior, and likely just done for gameplay purposes.
• While dependant on the individual, NPCs will most always try to run away or draw their weapons on the player instead of surrendering when a gun is pointed at them. This is extremely unlikely in real-world situations, but possible.

Supernatural Phenomena/Unsupported Conspiracies

Supernatural occurrences are things that have not been confirmed to exist, and as such may or may not be anachronisms.

• The existence of a time traveler like Francis Sinclair is debatable, though it is without doubt that he is a time traveler on account of his belt loops and the drawings of modern day skyscrapers.
• The traditional "flying saucer" UFO seen physically in the game and carved into a wall was not popularized until the 1940's, though the very existence of them is a subject of debate.
• The glowing pentagram in Butcher Creek would not have been possible with technology at the time, making it extremely likely to be supernatural.
• Characters will oftentimes appear to 'teleport' from out of nowhere, with no explanation for the sake of gameplay, with the most notable instances of this being lawmen in towns and the Strange Man. Most instances are likely due to hardware limitations, wherein characters are intentionally spawned just out of the player's view. The Strange Man, however, is likely supernatural on account of his express knowledge of the gang and ability to seemingly survive multiple bullets.
• Ghosts such as Agnes Dowd and the ghost train are also a subject of debate, though they could also be logically explained by hallucinations.
• The Giant Skeleton, while perhaps being an overly dedicated art project, is far larger than any recorded human in existence. The encounterable Giant never appears physically, and thus may actually be logically sized.
• The Vampire's appearance is based off 1922's Noseferatu, though his potential existence is not entirely out of the question as the makeup and accessories required to create such an appearance were available at the time, and murderous, blood-sucking humans do exist. However, the glowing inscriptions likely point to the idea that he is a supernatural being.
• The numerous viking settlements and artifacts are based off of a theory of the vikings settling in America, though current historical evidence only suggests that they settled in Canada.
• The Giant Snake and Giant Bullgator are much larger than any documented members of the species in recent recorded history.
• Talismans are able to affect the player in ways that they would not have been able to realistically, doing things like stopping animals from decomposing and allowing the player to last longer and shoot better.

References