The West

The film "How the West Was Won" (1962) - Epic film lasting over three hours. - Star-studded cast: Henry Fonda, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Debbie Reynolds, Lee J. Cobb, Carol Baker. - Narrated by Spencer Tracy. - Central theme: Exploration of how the West was won and lost.

The perspective of Westerners in the U.S. - Many Americans may stereotype the entire U.S. as Westerners. - Incoming visitors often expect all Americans to wear cowboy hats and boots. - Olympic team has, in the past, walked in ceremonies dressed as cowboys, reinforcing stereotypes.
Fascination with the Old West - Why is the Old West captivating to both Americans and global audiences?

Description of the painting by John Gast (1872) - Central figure: Lady Liberty, representing the spirit of progress. - Depiction of white settlers moving westward armed with tools (rifle, spade, horse). - Notable elements: trains, wildlife fleeing. - Light and dark imagery: Light signifies progress, darkness represents wilderness. - Symbolizes Manifest Destiny: - Belief in divine right to expand across North America. - Progress is portrayed as overcoming obstacles from nature and Native Americans.
Critique of the Monolithic Perspective - Painting represents a simplified history where settlers conquered the West. - Historiography suggests a more complicated narrative exists.

Overview of the film and its traditional tropes: - Focus on the Prescott family over generations exploring westward. - Themes involve civilizing the savage natives and establishing law and order. - Predominantly white settlers recognized as the 'winners'.
Frederick Jackson Turner's Thesis (1893) - Formulated the "frontier thesis" stating: - The frontier is where civilization and savagery meet. - It shaped American identity, emphasizing rugged individualism. - The frontier was no longer existent by 1890, marking a historical end. - Concerns arose regarding American identity amidst increased immigration.

Limitations noted by contemporary historians: - Diversity in geography and history in the West overlooked. - Ethnic diversity of settlers (e.g., Southern and Eastern Europeans) and the role of African Americans. - Cowboy identity diluted as only white, often ignoring contributions from black and Mexican cowboys.
Native American Perspective - Over-simplified to fit heroic narratives ignoring their complex societies. - Manifest Destiny as a form of tragedy leading to loss rather than victory.

Role of Railroads in shaping the West. - Railroads marked the first large-scale industrial efforts supported by government land grants; $175,000,000 acres of public land were transferred to railroad companies. - Railroads connected East to West, facilitating trade and settlement. - The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed settlers to claim 160 acres by promising improvements to land.
Cattle Drives and the Cattle Kingdom - Expansion of the cattle industry led to conflicts with Native Americans and destruction of their way of life. - Cowboys represented a mix of various ethnicities, contrary to single narratives.

Military confrontations with Native Americans. - Numerous named conflicts, e.g., Apache Wars, Red River War. - Example of the Great Sioux Reservation treaty that failed due to gold rush in Black Hills.
The massacre at Little Bighorn as a significant conflict promptly followed by U.S. military retaliation.

Description of U.S. efforts to assimilate Native Americans through the Dawes Act. - The act divided tribal lands into individual allotments, undermining collective land rights. - Indigenous cultures faced severe disruptions through forced assimilation processes (boarding schools). - Citizens options limited through assimilation policies or military defeat.

Mythologization of the cowboy and the Wild West in popular culture. - Dime novels romanticized Western lives contributing to false narratives. - Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows popularized skewed perceptions of Native Americans and historical events. - Rodeos and Western films emphasized toughness, independence, romanticized heroism.
Shift in representation of the West in cinema over time. - Transition from glamorous portrayals in films to more complex, gritty depictions in the late 20th century.

Reflection of the complex themes in the narrative of the American West. - Emphasis on the fact that winning the West narratively equated to the suffering and loss of indigenous populations. - Ongoing impact of these historical narratives on contemporary American identity and culture. - Understanding multiple narratives is crucial in reassessing the romanticization of the Old West and recognizing its complex history.