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.
Misconceptions of the West
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?
Analysis of Art: "American Progress"
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.
The Traditional Narrative of the American West
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.
Critique of Turner's Thesis
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.
Processes in Conquest of the West
Economic Wars
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 Wars
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.
Cultural Wars
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.
Cultural Impacts of the West
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.
Conclusion
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.