Creation and recreation : the cowboy’s myth

Creation and recreation : the cowboy’s myth

The Myth

Popular culture, especially through films such as Stagecoach and actors, for instance, John Wayne, portrays cowboys as lone heroes roaming vast frontiers, who are fearless gunfighters with strong moral codes. Moreover, the cowboy is a symbol of individualism and freedom. Hence, cowboys respond to the American dream ideal of free people moving to the land of freedom to fulfill their dreams.

This version turns the cowboy into a national icon of independence and masculinity, often represented as the white male dominant person, saving people from the bad influence of the Natives.

The reality

In reality, most cowboys in the late 19th century were low-paid laborers working long hours herding cattles of cows, which explains why they are depicted as “cow boys”. In opposition to movies from the 20th century (until 1950-1960), cowboys were often young, diverse, and not always white (many were Black, Mexican, or Natives).

Their activities were harassing. Indeed, they spent more time repairing fences and managing livestock than fighting or shooting bad people. As a matter of fact, cowboys were rarely involved in gunfights—those were uncommon and exaggerated.

In a nutshell, their work was physically demanding and monotonous rather than heroic.

1800s: Origins of the Cowboy

The American cowboy tradition started in the early–mid 19th century. This was influenced by Mexican vaqueros, cattle herders managing livestocks in Mexico. After the Mexican-American War, U.S. ranchers adopted vaquero techniques and became cowboys, who were ethnically diverse (Mexican vaqueros, Natives, Black and White people). These people worked on cattle herds, moving them from Texas to Kansas, such as the Chisholm Trail. They earnt a low pay, the weather was harsh. Indeed, they faced sweltering heat in the southern United States. By the end of the century, figures like Buffalo Bill popularised the myth of the new cowboy, a gunslinger precursor of the modern figure of the cowboy.

Early 1900s : The Cowboy as a hero

Unlike the 19th century, the 20th century made the Cowboys become legends through entertainment. Indeed, dime novels exaggerated that heroism and early westerns exported it worldwide. For instance, movies like Stagecoach helped define the lone gunslinger (inspired by Buffalo Bill) and the moral hero of the frontier. Later on, actors like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood became the face of this myth.

Mid–Late 1900s: Cultural Icon

The cowboy became central to American identity. Western movies dominated the 1950s–60s (with John Wayne and Clint Eastwood). Definitely, the cowboy symbolized freedom, masculinity and independence, symbolised by the white male dominant stereotype (especially in the 1950’s). In the 1960’s, historians began correcting myths. First, cowboys are ethnically diverse and do not always bear a flawless moral (the good, the bad and the ugly). Diversity was put at front and Natives were restored to their former glory. In addition, harassing jobs were displayed and inequalities between cowboys were shown.

Late 1900s–2000s: Revision and Critics

Then,

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