Most myths concerning the American West originated on the silver screen. Thanks to Hollywood, cowboys, Indians, gunfights, and outlaws paint a romanticized version of what really happened in the Old West.
Hollywood lied. Life in the Old West was vastly different from classic Spaghetti Westerns. Clean-cut cowboys portrayed by actors like John Wayne are a far cry from what cowboys were really like.
Letโs shoot down those Old West misconceptions.
The Wild West Wasnโt That Wild
The Wild West will have you imagining gun-slinging bandits, Native American ambushes, and sharp shooting cowboys wreaking havoc through the towns. But most towns were peaceful.
Historians even say the Wild West โwas a far more civilized, more peaceful and safer place than American society today.โ
There werenโt local โgovernmentsโ, but private organizations and clubs existed that helped adjudicate matters of property, theft, and crime, and they kept things pretty orderly.
Cowboys Didnโt Always Wear Hats
The popular Stetson cowboy hat wasnโt exactly a popular choice for the early frontiersmen of the Old West. That image of them wearing ten-gallon hats was just a movie gimmick.
Popular and practical headwear choices were the bowler and the derby. These were less likely to fly off when riding horses at speed.
It was actually unsafe and impractical to wear a massive, white hat in the middle of a gun-battle. That just makes it a perfect massive, white target for your enemies.
The OK Corral Gunfight Didnโt Take Place In The OK Corral
The OK Corral gunfight has to be the most famous shootout in the history of the Wild West. But it didnโt take place in the OK Corral at all and was actually carried out in the less-glamorous vacant lot behind it. Not to mention the entire fight lasted just a mere 30 seconds.
Those 30 seconds were more than enough for numerous deaths and wounds to be inflicted though.
Playing Cards Wasnโt Just A Pastime
Card playing had a tendency of becoming a matter of life and death in western movies. But in the Old West, not every cowboy wouldโve been involved in big-time card games.
Gambling card games were a much bigger deal than they are portrayed as being. They were a serious profession with the best players being initiated as professional sportsmen of the day.
Numerous gambling halls, brothels, and saloons were dedicated to hosting competitive card games and professional competitions instead of throw downs between OG sharks and table newbies.
There Mightโve Been More Wild Camels Than Horses
In 1855, the Southern US found itself as the home to hundreds of feral camels. 75 beasts were bought from Egypt with the purpose of being used for army surveys. The camels were stationed in central Texas, meant to be beasts of burden for army encampments there.
Several of those camels escaped, roaming and breeding freely in the wild. The legendary โRed Ghostโ of Arizona happened to be one of these feral camels.
Not All Cowboys Were White Men
Classic western films have cowboys as white men. But the Wild West had its fair share of multicultural ethnicities. Even the Lone Rangerโs character is rumored to be inspired by a black U.S. Marshal named Bass Reeves.
The first known group of western cowboys were Mexican ranchers called Vaqueros and Spanish gentlemen called Caballeros. Both groups were skilled in cattle driving and horse riding traditions.
Not all outlaws were men either. Some women were real outlaws. These ladies committed highly punishable crimes like robberies, firearm assaults, and murders.
Native Americans And Settlers Werenโt Always Fighting
Fighting between Native Americans and western settlers over territory would be normal, but the cinema had people believing that โcowboysโ and โIndiansโ were constantly at it with each other.
But the truth is that there are many instances of tolerance and cohabitation as there are of animosity. Native Americans conducted good business with the settlers, trading goods and providing guiding services in towns.
Not Everyone Carried A Gun
While it was was true that many ranchers and early settlers owned a gun, not everyone in the Old West carried one around wherever they went. Gun laws were pretty strict in western towns, and people were usually prohibited from carrying a gun within the city limits.
By law, carrying a gun was unlawful and even punishable in Tombstone.
Prostitutes Didnโt Live In Poverty
The life of a prostitute was never an easy or honorable one in the Old West, but it did give them high wages, special freedoms, and comfortable living arrangements. Madams of these brothels were some of the freest, most educated, and wealthiest women of that era.
They took good care of their working girls, even hiring police officers to protect them so as to make sure business flourished.
Bank Robberies Werenโt That Common
But in real life, bank robberies in the Old West werenโt really that common. The estimate was only three or four robberies across 15 states within a 40-year timespan. Not much action then.
The Pony Express Wasnโt Successful
It may be a romantic image with a rider on a horse, riding full speed to deliver mail to the outposts of the American West. The Pony Express captured popular imagination but it wasnโt a huge success.
The company operated for 19 months from 1860-1861.
Men were made to shuttle messages as fast as they could along a 2,000 mile route. These small, lightweight riders would switch horses every 10-15 miles, and then changed riders every 75-100 miles.
It was fast, but costly. The company lost an estimated $200,00 over its short stint, a really huge sum for the era.
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