The American Wild West: From Rodeos to Cowboys
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The American Wild West Culture
The American Old West refers to the people, events, and culture that defined life in the western United States from the end of the Civil War until the close of the 19th century. Though interpretations vary, the era is generally considered to span from around 1865 to 1890. This was a time of rapid change, and as settlers expanded westward into what had been Native American land, tensions rose and conflicts erupted between indigenous groups, settlers, and the U.S. government.
The West was a dangerous place where disputes often turned violent and firearms were a daily part of life, relied on for protection and survival. Revolvers and breech-loading rifles became more widely available and were carried by ranchers, settlers, lawmen, and outlaws alike. The Winchester rifle even earned the nickname "the gun that won the West."
Despite its danger, the Wild West continued to attract those in search of new beginnings and wild adventure. By 1900, more than 193,000 miles of railroad track had been laid across the country, moving Americans westward in search of land, freedom, and opportunity.
Westward Expansion and Hardship
Inspired by the idea of Manifest Destiny, the belief that Americans were destined to spread across the continent, settlers continued to push west, often by wagon train, a group of covered wagons traveling together for safety and support. Thousands saw the move as a step toward independence and a chance to build a better life. But life was not easy; irrigation was incredibly hard, and crops failed from drought, extreme weather, and pests. These failures caused hunger for families in the West. People also faced loneliness and isolation once they settled.
Cattle trails, routes used to drive herds of cattle from ranches in the south to markets in the north, became lifelines for those seeking work and wages. Lawlessness persisted along the cattle trails, and local settlers were left to create their own justice systems in the absence of formal law enforcement. Meanwhile, mass buffalo hunting devastated the herds, driving them to near extinction and leaving many Native American communities without their primary food source.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
After the Louisiana Purchase took place in 1803, through which the United States purchased territory from France, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the Corps of Discovery (1804-1806), exploring the new land west of the Mississippi River in one of the earliest major advances toward Manifest Destiny. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the expedition to map the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and find a water route to the Pacific. During the expedition, the Corps of Discovery covered roughly 8,000 miles, documented more than 300 new plant and animal species, and met with around 50 Native American tribes. Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman and the wife of a French trapper, acted as their guide and interpreter, helping to ensure the mission's success.
The Camel Corps
In 1855, the U.S. government launched a short-lived experiment: importing camels from Egypt to test their endurance in the hot, dry Southwest climate. The animals proved hardy, but they startled horses and were unpopular with handlers. After the Civil War, many were sold or turned loose, leading to rare reports of feral camels roaming the Texas wilderness for decades.
The Pony Express
For those who made the journey west, letters from loved ones back east brought encouragement and comfort. However, the mail service was very slow. The Pony Express, which operated from April 1860 to October 1861, changed that. Using a system of 157 relay stations, about 80 riders, and nearly 500 horses, the Pony Express transported mail from Missouri to California in just ten days, much faster than the stagecoach routes of the time. Each rider changed horses every 10 to 15 miles and carried as much as 20 pounds of letters. However, the Pony Express was short-lived, as the completion of the transcontinental telegraph line on Oct. 24, 1861, made it obsolete. The final deliveries were made the following month.
The Desert Land Act and Homesteading
In 1877, the Desert Land Act was passed by Congress and was signed into law by President Rutherford B. Hayes. Its goal was to encourage westward expansion and the development of public lands in the western United States by offering cheap land to individuals who would irrigate it in order to make it agriculturally viable within three years. Building on the earlier Homestead Act of 1862, which granted 160 acres of free public land to those who agreed to live on, improve, and farm the land for at least five years, the new legislation allowed married couples to purchase 640 acres for $1.25 per acre, while single men could buy 320 acres at the same rate. Unfortunately, many settlers ultimately failed to meet the requirements to take ownership of the land. Fraud became common, as some manipulated the system for land speculation.
Outlaws and Frontier Justice
The West drew many people seeking land and wealth, and it also drew criminals who sought to exploit the land's lawlessness. Armed robberies and gunfights were commonplace, prompting some developing towns to ban carrying firearms. Visitors were expected to surrender their weapons to the local sheriff, who issued paper receipts so that the firearms could be returned as visitors left town.
Two of the most notorious outlaws who balked at such orders were Jesse James and his brother Frank, who began their violent careers as Confederate guerrillas and went on to lead a gang of bank and train robbers. Another was Elmer McCurdy, who died in a 1911 shootout with the police after a bungled train robbery that netted only $46. After his death, McCurdy's body was embalmed with arsenic, but it went unclaimed. To make back the cost of the embalming, the undertaker decided to exhibit the body, charging people to see "the embalmed bandit." For decades afterward, McCurdy's body passed from one owner to the next as a bizarre carnival exhibit.
As the technology of photography advanced, lawmen used "dead outlaw" portraits to prove that criminals had been killed and to deter others from breaking the law. Corpses were often propped up against a wall before rigor mortis set in to get a usable image for bounties or newspapers.
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
Capitalizing on the rough and wild nature of the West, a popular traveling show was developed in 1883 by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, a former Army scout and bison hunter turned global showman. Cody founded Buffalo Bill's Wild West, a traveling show that dramatized life on the frontier. Cody had theatrical experience and knew how to draw a crowd, and his show became an international sensation, touring the U.S. and Europe. It featured reenactments of stagecoach attacks, sharpshooting demonstrations, and horseback stunts, perpetuating the myths of the Old West and romanticizing the cowboy experience. Women also played a part in the show: Originally restricted to riding sidesaddle, female performers such as Lucille Mulhall and Tad Lucas roped, rode, and raced alongside men. Cody was even known to pay women equal wages, a rarity at the time.
Famous People of the Wild West
Bill Pickett
A legendary black and Native American cowboy and professional live rodeo performer, Pickett invented the rodeo event of bulldogging (wrestling steers to the ground), and he performed with the famous 101 Ranch Wild West Show.
Wild Bill Hickok
James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok was a Union scout, lawman, and gambler who was known for his deadly accuracy with a pistol and his dramatic death. He was shot from behind while playing poker, holding what became known as the "dead man's hand" (a pair of black aces and a pair of black eights).
Nat Love
Also known as "Deadwood Dick," Nat Love was a formerly enslaved man who became a skilled black cowboy, professional rodeo champion, and author of a 1907 autobiographical memoir called The Life and Adventures of Nat Love, Better Known in the Cattle Country as "Deadwood Dick," which helped preserve the legacy of African Americans in the West.
Billy the Kid
Born Henry McCarty, Billy the Kid was a teenage outlaw and gunfighter who had been involved in the Lincoln County War in New Mexico. He allegedly killed 21 men before being shot by Sheriff Pat Garrett at age 21.
Lucille Mulhall
A pioneering female rodeo performer, Mulhall earned fame as a roper and trick rider in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show and was billed as the world's first cowgirl to compete on equal footing with men.
John Hughes
A legendary Texas Ranger, Hughes fought bandits and cattle rustlers along the Mexican border and became the inspiration for Zane Grey's novel The Lone Star Ranger.
Wyatt Earp
A lawman and gambler, Earp became famous for his role in the legendary gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, alongside his brothers and Doc Holliday.
Belle Starr (Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr)
A notorious female outlaw, Starr was associated with horse thieves and bandits, including the Younger and James gangs. Known as the "Bandit Queen," she was murdered in 1889 under mysterious circumstances.
John Wesley Hardin
One of the most violent gunfighters of the Old West, Hardin claimed to have killed more than 20 men before being gunned down in 1895. He once allegedly shot a man for snoring.
Black Bart (Charles Earl Boles)
A gentleman stagecoach robber, Black Bart never fired a shot and was known for leaving poetic messages at the scenes of his robberies. He wore a flour sack mask and was eventually captured in 1883.
Doc Holliday (John Henry Holliday)
A dentist turned gambler and gunfighter, Holliday was fiercely loyal to Wyatt Earp and played a pivotal role in the O.K. Corral shootout. His frail health (he suffered from tuberculosis) contrasted sharply with his deadly reputation.
Butch Cassidy (Robert LeRoy Parker)
Leader of the Wild Bunch, Cassidy was a train and bank robber known for his charm and nonviolent reputation. He fled to South America with his partner the Sundance Kid, where they reportedly died in a Bolivian shootout.
Calamity Jane
Martha Jane Cannary was a tough-talking frontierswoman, scout, and occasional performer in Buffalo Bill's show. She was known for her bravery, compassion, and her claimed friendship with Wild Bill Hickok.