What was the Wild West actually like? How accurately do TV shows portray the Wild West? Was the land there really "lawless" and berserk? What kind of jobs did people actually have there? Did people actually follow the laws there or was it just chaos and violence and survival of the fittest and constant gun fights and brawls in bars? Would sherrifs actually do anything there?

Also, could individuals just uproot themselves and start anew in an entirely new town with a new identity and new name? It seems as though back then, without things like social security or a Drivers License, there were no forms of identification and anyone could just move from one town to another changing their identity if they didn't want to be found. Thus, was the Wild West really full of outlaws changing their identities?