The American fascination with unusual outlaws and rebels never ends. While the sensible hardworking Puritan side of our personality despises those who steal, there is something about people who completely defy authority and thumb their nose at their fate which has us hooked. Jesse James, Geronimo, Bonnie and Clyde all stone cold killers with extremely varied reasons for what they did, but they own a little tiny piece of our national soul.
In one sense, the Declaration of Independence made us a nation of outlaws. The American character is one of fighting city hall and so, while we can appreciate law and order, there’s a little rebellious streak in every true blooded American. Also, if you look at the outlaws you named, they were, for a time, successful at what they did; Americans like winners, especially when they give them the opportunity to root for the underdog.