beginning with the great train robbery in 1903 the western has been one of hollywood's
most definitive genres these so-called oaters cheaty made films common as oats for horses
would soon become the predominant staple for movie audiences over the next five decades
at its core westerns usually depict life on the frontier during the latter half of the 19th
century and feature the quintessential american icon the cowboy however the narrative is based on
several highly romanticized myths blending facts and fiction from the wild wild west
10. shootouts two steely-eyed gunslingers are duel at high noon under a hot sun
while this hair-raising scenario makes for compelling edge of your seat drama this type
of showdown rarely took place because most cowboys were not skilled marksmen
top hired hands on a cattle drive were more likely to earn a fistful of silver dollars with the
command of the lariat not a sixth shooter besides possessing firearms carried severe consequences
those entering dodge city kansas in the 1870s were greeted with a large sign that read the
carrying of firearms strictly prohibited similar declarations stating leave your revolvers at
police headquarters and get a check could be found in wichita according to historian adam winkler
places like tombstone deadwood and dodge had the most restrictive gun control laws in the nation
9. hostile natives settlers in the old west faced a wide variety of hardships but attacks from
native americans paled compared to other struggles such as starvation disease and dehydration records
show that between 1840 and 1860 362 migrants were killed in clashes with native americans
a total of nearly 30 000 men and women died from all causes during the same 20-year span
making indian-related attacks less than one percent of all fatalities additionally
archives from the national oregon and california trail center suggest that tribes welcomed the
arrival of newcomers as an opportunity for trading freshwater served as an invaluable commodity and
native american buffalo robes and moccasins were regularly swapped for knives and other clothes
number 8. the cowboy hat as the preferred headwear of former presidents country music crooners
and one member of the village people the cowboy hat is easily the most recognizable symbol of the
western genre even space billionaire jeff bezos clumsily sported the ubiquitous headwear after
recently splashing down on earth in reality cowpungers wore a wide range of coverings
including the military keppy derby and bowler hat in 1865 john b stetson introduced the boss
of the planes the first wide-brimmed hat marketed to outdoorsmen stetson made the expensive garment
from animal fur which featured a smooth elegant design with a rounded crown over time the more
familiar version of the stetson evolved to better suit the needs of cowboys such as curved sides to
stay out of the way of a rope 7. cleanliness those heeding the call to go west often spend weeks
or months without bathing as a result trekking across the rugged north american landscape left
them covered in dirt and wreaking a foul body odor to be fair hollywood's major studios have always
understood the value of star power and sex appeal that said a clean shave in gary cooper or roy
rogers type is also going to sell more tickets at the box office than someone covered in fleas and
looking like the unibomber ironically america's first people are often portrayed as filthy savages
despite having much higher standards of personal hygiene they also benefited from centuries-old
knowledge of the region allowing them to cleanse themselves regularly in rivers streams and lakes
6. billy the kid to date there have been approximately 50 different movies about the
notorious outlaw billy the kid although these films vary thematically from sentimental to
sexually exploitative they typically share a common thread of historical inaccuracies
with the possible exception of bigfoot no other man or creature has benefited from
exaggerated tall tales as much as the kid born henry mccarty in 1859 to irish immigrants in new
york city the future renegade later adopted the pseudonym william bonney hence billy the kid he
eventually drifted into new mexico territory where he committed various petty crimes and later joined
a gang of cattle rustlers he later took part in the lincoln county war in 1878 as a regulator a
hired gun slinging lead in a feud that involved two rival business factions with deep irish roots
contrary to popular belief mccarty never robbed a bank or a train however the most pervasive
myth about mccarty involves his reputation as a prolific gunfighter he's known to have
killed four men including two in self-defense but details regarding other alleged murders have
proven sketchy at best and occurred in skirmishes with numerous guns ablazing still those looking to
walk in his footsteps can visit the lincoln county courthouse in southern new mexico where the 21
year old escaped from jail in a fiery shootout in 1881 the bullet holes are still in the wall by the
way he was then shot dead three months later by sheriff pat garrett number five horsemanship like
any athletic endeavor equestrian skills require years of practice to become proficient especially
when attempting to stay in the saddle on an animal galloping at breakneck speed moreover the ability
to accurately shoot a moving target on a horseback would have been a daunting challenge for any rider
though most actors are guilty of embellishing their resumes fudging about riding a horse is
never a good idea just ask johnny depp during the filming of the 2013 colossal flop the lone ranger
the then 50 year old depp was nearly trampled to death after falling from
his mount a mishap that underscores the need for well-trained wranglers to serve as stunt doubles
4. custer's last stand movie audiences have come to recognize the thunder of hoof beats
and a blaring bugle as the unmistakable sound of the cavalry arriving to save the day although this
action is a proven crowd pleaser hollywood has blatantly distorted the truth regarding george
armstrong custer after rising to the rank of brevit general in the civil war costas sought
to enhance his legacy by reinventing himself as a heroic indian fighter he eagerly embraced the
role donning a self-styled uniform replete with a buckskin jacket red sash and matching scarf
had coco chanel been alive at the time she would have undoubtedly advised him to just tone it down
a little bit in 876 custer launched a series of raids on native american villages in the montana
territory attacks resulting in the murder of women and children the eager maniacal officer then made
an ill-timed decision to take on a coalition of lakota north cheyenne and arapaho warriors led by
sitting bull and crazy horse big mistake custer's reckless actions would result in the annihilation
of the u.s seventh cavalry regiment at the battle of little bighorn in the end he not only
got himself killed but also two of his younger brothers a nephew and a brother-in-law and one of
the most decisive defeats in u.s military history 3. the not so wild west despite the usual carnage
and body count displayed in most westerns the actual number of fatalities is surprisingly meager
between 1870 and 1885 a combined total of 45 people were gunned down in the major cattle
towns of dodge city ellsworth abilene and wichita by comparison someone is killed by
a gun every three hours in modern day california and 136 000 americans are shot every year
the frequency of armed bank robberies presents another popular fabrication about the wild west
historian w eugene holland asserts that the west was a far more civilized more peaceful
and safer place than american society today while the future of the second amendment remains
uncertain gun violence remains firmly ingrained in american culture perpetuated by undeniably
entertaining films such as butch cassidy and the sundance kid the magnificent seven and rio bravo
number two diversity nation building is hard work for the united states a steady flow of immigrants
and freed slaves provided much of the requisite manpower to hammer out a burgeoning nation this
back-breaking labor included cattle drives by men from multiple racial backgrounds most
of whom looked nothing like john wayne historians estimate that as many as one in four cowboys were
african-american additionally much of the atar associated with the westerns are derived from
traditions borrowed from mexican vaqueros author of the black west william lawrence states right
after the civil war being a cowboy was one of the few jobs open to men of color who wanted to
not serve as elevator operators or delivery boys or other similar occupations at the turn of the
20th century wild west shows frequently showcase the talent of african americans for example bill
pickett the son of former slaves became one of the most famous early rodeo stars and is credited with
inventing a technique to wrestle a steer to the ground better known as bulldogging 1. the lone
cowboy in his opus the hero with a thousand faces joseph campbell illustrates how the archetypal
hero's journey is found in numerous cultures worldwide as a hallmark of countless westerns the
american version is presented as a waspy moral hard-working man who triumphs single-handedly
the truth though tells a much different story the success of well-supported expeditions and
cattle drives proved extremely difficult under the best of circumstances conversely
anyone striking out alone would have had a limited capacity of food and water making long
excursions next to impossible furthermore losing one's horse or any other beast of burden due to
exhaustion or injury would have meant almost certain death it's also worth noting that the
notion of taming the wild west came to symbolize the national ethos the mythological narrative
even dictated foreign policy is an extension of manifest destiny i.e the god-given right to
conquer all with justifiable violence so i really hope you enjoyed today's video if you did please
do hit that thumbs up button below don't forget to subscribe and as always thank you for watching