The Wild West is one of American history’s most fascinating periods and has inspired the Western film genre. Myths have surrounded the period for over a century, popularized by theater shows, films, and television series. These 18 myths about the period were debunked long ago but are still widely believed.
The History of Railroads in the West
Railroads forever altered the Wild West and connected far-flung communities, but their history is often oversimplified. Ethnic groups, including Chinese and Irish immigrants, worked on their construction, which usually displaced Indigenous people, leading to violent resistance.
The Wild West Was Lawless
Most people base their views on the Wild West on Hollywood films and TV series, often depicting the period as a time of constant lawlessness and chaos. However, community norms and local law enforcement maintained order. Some towns even required travelers to deposit any firearms they were carrying when in town.
Ubiquitous Saloons
Saloons were very popular, but they weren’t as commonplace as they are in Hollywood depictions. The Tahoe Daily Tribune explains that saloons served many functions besides drinking establishments and were often “an eatery, hotel, bath, and comfort station, livery stable, gambling den, dance hall, bordello, barbershop, courtroom, political arena, dueling ground, and undertaker’s parlor.”
Endless Buffalo Plains
Plains bison, or buffalo, were routinely slaughtered in the Wild West and almost driven to extinction in the 1870s. Their population was just 100 in 1871, split into six herds and 25 individuals in Yellowstone National Park. Their population has recovered, and hundreds of thousands live in herds across America.
The Wild West Was Empty Before Settlers Arrived
The Wild West wasn’t a wild, untouched frontier before Americans expanded westward. Indigenous groups, including the Arapaho, the Comanches, and the Sioux, lived in the region for thousands of years, long before Spanish and later American settlers arrived.
Quick-draw Duels Were Common to Solve Disputes
Quick-draw duels are a hallmark of the Hollywood Western and did occur in the Wild West, notably in the Hickok–Tutt shootout and the Short–Courtright duel. However, as Legends of America explains, most shootouts with revolvers were unplanned, spur-of-the-moment events that “were rarely civilized.”
The Wild West Shows Were Accurate Depictions
These traveling vaudeville performances in America and Europe were popular from around 1870 to 1920. They depicted romanticized and sensationalized portrayals of cowboys, outlaws, and Native Americans and shaped international perceptions of the period that remains today.
Stereotypes Surrounding Native Americans
Native Americans have traditionally been oversimplified and stereotyped in Wild West films. They are often either noble savages or ruthless warriors, but the tribes of the period had diverse cultures and societies with varied relationships with settlers.
Homestead Acts Led to Easy Lives
These acts allowed applicants to acquire government land for free. Nearly 10 percent of America was given away for free to 1.6 million people, but they often faced challenging conditions and isolation. African Americans experience rampant discrimination and systematic barriers despite being encouraged to participate after the 1866 Act.
The Lone Cowboy
The lone cowboy is a popular figure in tales of life in the Wild West. In reality, cowboys worked and lived in close-knit communities, and cattle required a group of drovers working effectively as a team.
Renegade Outlaws Were Heroes
Outlaws like Billy the Kid and Jesse James are often glorified in Wild West movies and TV shows. However, their criminal activities usually hurt innocent people caught up in their violent assaults and murders.
The Gold Rush Was a Guaranteed Fortune
The Gold Rush attracted thousands of Americans to move West. HowStuffWorks explains that “many prospectors did well at first” because “there was a lot of gold to be found,” around 1,750 pounds. However, few people could “hold on to their newfound wealth,” as life in these boomtowns “was notoriously expensive, and there were so many ways to lose what you’d found — alcohol, brothels, and gambling.”
Western Towns Sprang Up Overnight
Towns in the Wild West usually took a while to develop into large, inhabited settlements. Planning was important to establish sustainable communities, like San Francisco, that wouldn’t become ghost towns after the boom of the Gold Rush.
Cowboys vs. Native Americans
Cowboys and Native Americans are often depicted as constantly fighting. Most of the time, the interactions between Americans heading westward after the Louisiana Purchase and Indigenous tribes were calm and friendly.
Ghost Towns Were Everywhere
Ghost towns weren’t nearly as common in the Wild West as most people think they were. Many boomtowns kept their inhabitants and evolved into modern towns and cities or tourist attractions like Shasta State Historic Park.
Women in the Wild West
The New York Public Library notes that women in traditional Westerns were “often painted either as prostitutes who seduce the heroes or wholesome farm girls that marry the heroes” but led more varied lives. They were “gunslingers, bounty hunters, and business owners” who could divorce their husbands and “even live their entire lives as men without anyone knowing.”
The Wild West Was All-White
The Wild West is frequently depicted as having a nearly 100 percent white population, especially in older TV shows and movies. In reality, significant populations of African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Native Americans contributed to the diverse and multicultural nature of frontier communities.
Vigilantes as Bearers of Justice
Vigilantism is often romanticized in the Wild West as bringing justice to a lawless land. However, it was often brutal, unlawful, and illegal under the structures of frontier governments, but some law-abiding citizens supported it.