Frontier myth
Encyclopedia
The frontier myth or frontier tall tales is a term given to the popular romanticization of the Wild West frontier.
, the frontier
was the term applied to the zone of unsettled land outside the region of existing settlements of Americans. In a broad sense, the notion of the frontier was the edge of the settled country where unlimited free land was available and thus unlimited opportunity.
Being a frontiersman in the so-called Wild West, a cowboy
, rancher or gold miner were idealized within American mystery. Mark Twain
colorfully related that accounts gold strikes in the popular press had supported the feverish expansion of the mining frontier and provoked mining “stampedes” during the 1860s and 1870s: “Every few days news would come of the discovery of a brand-new mining region: immediately the papers would teem with accounts of its richness, and away the surplus population would scamper to take possession…”
Similarly the life of the hardy cowboy driving dusty herds of longhorns northward from Texas
to the cattle markets Abilene
and Dodge City, Kansas, was romanticized by the eastern press. This transformed the cattle industry until the late 1870s. The former image of cowboys as ne’er-do-well and drifter changed significantly. They were now glorified as men of rough-hewn integrity and self-reliant strength.
There were two ‘Wests’ – the real West in which farmers, ranchers, miners and prostitutes and criminals pursued their happiness and the legendary West that took deep root in the American imagination. Western novels, or cowboy novels, portrayed the west as both a barren landscape and a romanticized idealistic way of living.
, Jesse James
' gang, Buffalo Bill
, famous gunfighters such as Isom Dart are still present myth of this era, e.g. in books of Theodore Roosevelt
, Frederic Remington
and Owen Wister
, or in comics like Lucky Luke
. Needless to say, the western myth was far removed from reality of the West. Often movies, comics and American literature neglect to show the hard physical labor of cattle range. Silence was kept about the brutalities of Indian warfare, racism towards Mexican-Americans (Mexicans were not accepted as free Whites) and Blacks and the boom-and-bust mentality rooted in the selfish exploitation of natural resources.
But, by the turn of the century, thriving farms, ranches, mines and cities of the Wild West would help the U. S. into one of the world’s most prosperous nations. This describes the American myth regarding the frontiersmen of the late 19th century.
Origins
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the frontier
Frontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...
was the term applied to the zone of unsettled land outside the region of existing settlements of Americans. In a broad sense, the notion of the frontier was the edge of the settled country where unlimited free land was available and thus unlimited opportunity.
Being a frontiersman in the so-called Wild West, a cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
, rancher or gold miner were idealized within American mystery. Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
colorfully related that accounts gold strikes in the popular press had supported the feverish expansion of the mining frontier and provoked mining “stampedes” during the 1860s and 1870s: “Every few days news would come of the discovery of a brand-new mining region: immediately the papers would teem with accounts of its richness, and away the surplus population would scamper to take possession…”
Similarly the life of the hardy cowboy driving dusty herds of longhorns northward from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to the cattle markets Abilene
Abilene, Kansas
Abilene is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,844.-History:...
and Dodge City, Kansas, was romanticized by the eastern press. This transformed the cattle industry until the late 1870s. The former image of cowboys as ne’er-do-well and drifter changed significantly. They were now glorified as men of rough-hewn integrity and self-reliant strength.
There were two ‘Wests’ – the real West in which farmers, ranchers, miners and prostitutes and criminals pursued their happiness and the legendary West that took deep root in the American imagination. Western novels, or cowboy novels, portrayed the west as both a barren landscape and a romanticized idealistic way of living.
Enduring myths
Today’s legends like Wild Bill and Calamity JaneCalamity Jane
Martha Jane Cannary Burke , better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, and professional scout best known for her claim of being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok, but also for having gained fame fighting Native Americans...
, Jesse James
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
' gang, Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
, famous gunfighters such as Isom Dart are still present myth of this era, e.g. in books of Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, Frederic Remington
Frederic Remington
Frederic Sackrider Remington was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in depictions of the Old American West, specifically concentrating on the last quarter of the 19th century American West and images of cowboys, American Indians, and the U. S...
and Owen Wister
Owen Wister
Owen Wister was an American writer and "father" of western fiction.-Early life:Owen Wister was born on July 14, 1860, in Germantown, a well-known neighborhood in the northwestern part of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father, Owen Jones Wister, was a wealthy physician, one of a long line of...
, or in comics like Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke is a Belgian comics series created by Belgian cartoonist, Maurice De Bevere better known as Morris, the original artist, and was for one period written by René Goscinny...
. Needless to say, the western myth was far removed from reality of the West. Often movies, comics and American literature neglect to show the hard physical labor of cattle range. Silence was kept about the brutalities of Indian warfare, racism towards Mexican-Americans (Mexicans were not accepted as free Whites) and Blacks and the boom-and-bust mentality rooted in the selfish exploitation of natural resources.
But, by the turn of the century, thriving farms, ranches, mines and cities of the Wild West would help the U. S. into one of the world’s most prosperous nations. This describes the American myth regarding the frontiersmen of the late 19th century.