The Old West

Cowboys and the Old West: Deconstructing the Myth

  • The popular image of the Old West is often inaccurate.
  • Examples of common misconceptions:
    • Cowboys:
      • Movies often depict cattle drives as predominantly white affairs.
      • In reality, approximately one-fourth of cowboys were black Americans who migrated west after the Civil War.
      • Most people only participated in one cattle drive due to the difficult labor and low pay.
    • Gunfights:
      • The Old West wasn't as violent as portrayed.
      • There were only about 48 documented murders in the history of the Old West after the Civil War.
      • Strict gun control existed in many towns, restricting guns from being carried openly.
        • Gunfights like the one at the O.K. Corral often occurred because individuals were illegally carrying guns in town.
    • Cowboy attire:
      • The iconic bullet-laden belts are a modern invention.
      • Cowboys typically wore clothes similar to those in the East, not dirty rags.
    • Cowboy hats:
      • Modern Stetsons are also a later invention.
      • Cowboys often wore sombreros to shield themselves from the sun.

Reasons for the Inaccurate Image of the Old West

  • Media: Western movies often perpetuate a romanticized mythology.
  • American Mythology: The Old West embodies a romanticized vision of American identity and the frontier spirit.
  • National Rifle Association (NRA): The NRA utilizes imagery of the Old West to promote its agenda and connect it to American founding myths.

Real Aspects of the Old West

  • Outlaws and Lawmen: Some figures and events were real.
    • The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral: The Earp family and Doc Holliday were involved in a real gunfight.
    • Pat Garrett: A real sheriff.
    • Billy the Kid: A real outlaw.
    • Judge Roy Bean: A real judge who also worked as a bartender.
      • Example: Judge Roy Bean once charged a dead body with illegal possession of a firearm, fining the body the amount of money found on it.

The Transcontinental Railroad

  • The Transcontinental Railroad was a major engineering achievement of the 19th century.
  • It connected the United States from east to west.
  • The Union Pacific built westward from the East, while the Central Pacific built eastward from California.
  • The railroads met at Promontory Point, Utah.
  • It was a combination of private investment (e.g., the Big Four of California) and government investment via incentives and land grants.
  • The railroad made travel across the country much faster and safer than the Oregon Trail.
  • A video about the Transcontinental Railroad is recommended for viewing.

The Great West

  • The Great Plains, east of the California Desert, attracted white and black Americans.
  • By 1890, 18% of California's population was black Americans.

Major Industries of the Old West

  • Mining:
    • Mining for minerals such as copper, lead, tin, quartz, and zinc was significant and often more profitable than gold and silver mining.
    • Examples:
      • Pike's Peak in Colorado (gold).
      • Comstock Lode in Nevada (gold and silver).
      • Copper mining in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming.
    • Mining towns often experienced boom-and-bust cycles.
    • Example: Calico, California, a former borax and silver mining town.
  • Cattle Industry:
    • Railroads enabled the transportation of meat from the West to the East.
    • Cities like Kansas City and Chicago grew as railroad hubs with stockyards.
    • The development of refrigerated cars allowed for safe food transportation.
    • Cattle were raised in Texas and driven north to be shipped east.
    • Cowboys included former Confederate soldiers, northern whites, black Americans, Mexicans, and Mexican Americans.
  • Farming:
    • The Homestead Act of 1862 granted settlers 160 acres of land for a nominal fee, provided they lived on and improved it for five years.
    • Approximately 500,000 families moved west after the Civil War.
    • While some land was bought by farmers, much was purchased by promoters planning to resell it.
    • Farmers used steel plows (John Deere) and barbed wire to cultivate and fence their land.
    • New irrigation techniques allowed farming to persist, at least temporarily, in the Great Plains.

The End of the Frontier

  • By the 1890s, the American frontier was considered closed.
  • The United States had expanded across the country, eliminating the "edge of America."
  • This shift changed the nature of the country.

The Losers of the Old West

  • The subjugation of Native Americans must be considered when discussing the Old West.