The Nina & The Pinta

Heroic Cowboy vs. Reality

The realities of the Western Cowboy were greatly different than the heroic image of them. Historically speaking, cowboys were dirty, lowly paid and under educated ranch hands who had no life outside of the ranch. But, they're position in society was vastly blown out of proportion, it was almost as if the old lives of them had been forgotten, even though they still existed. They were made to seem like awesome people who saved the day and didn't care about the law or rules, when in actuality they were far from it.

In movies and pictures the portrayal of the Cowboy seemed to be the same each time; the hero. It was always set in the "Wild, Wild West" where only saloons and tumble weeds existed. The scene would always begin in a bar and then trouble would come to the bar. A gun was their primary weapon and they always had just enough bullets to win the shoot out, which was also in every movie. The mythological Cowboy was created so that Americans could see what life was like in the West, without having to go there. However, these movies and pictures increased tourism to the area because people wanted to be a part of the action.

While the American cowboy was a significant figure in the idealization of history, it is even still the same way today. Many movies like the one above, Cowboys and Aliens, still depict the West as a place that is full of action. When in reality the West was a lot better than some cowboy. It was a vast region full of many different climates and geography. Many people from distant countries came to the West for prosperity, and to get the freedom that all wanted. Almost 90% of the California population in 1890 was Chinese. While this brought many diverse people to the area, almost all the whites did not like them being in their area. Many laws and regulations such as the Chinese Exclusion Acts made it impossible for Chinese to become citizens, whether they were born or emigrated over. The West was also known for its gold mines, sandy coasts and warm, climate. The Plains Indians were the very first settlers in the region and they taught the newcomers many ways to survive; building houses and using buffalo's for every daily life skill. The buffalo was a huge part of the West.

Chapter 15 Reflection

A cartoon about Negro Rule, from 1900.

Before studying the Civil War in class, I did not know that much about the Post-Civil War South. Many new topics such as the "Lost Cause", the Freedman's Bureau and Negro Rule I had never heard of. Studying this allowed me to learn more about that era of our country, as most of what I have heard of was just about how great the South was. I knew a lot about slavery and the mistreatment of blacks, but I had no clue about the specifics of what went on during those years. While I do not condone a lot of what the South did back in those days, I am still a proud Southerner and I will not let the past change my opinion of the present South.

A major thing that stands out to me that I have learned was that even thought the 15th Amendment was passed and allowed all to vote, the Southern states still figured out ways to go about getting around them. Specifically with Literacy Tests and the Grandfather Clauses. I never thought that the South would be that prejudice towards blacks. In a way this goes against the Constitution, however the loopholes found made it legal to perform illegal laws. Most of the time, there were two versions of the test; a harder test for African Americans and an easier test for whites, who were not yet grandfathered into the system. It was extremely difficult for blacks to vote, which made their voice not heard in our government.

It is important and beneficial for people to know about the history of the region they live in, is because that in many cases, history can repeat itself and might happen sometime in the future. It also lets people think about the many sacrifices and hardships that people in the past might have had to deal with, while we are privileged not to. History is a very powerful subject that invokes lots of emotions for many people. Specifically for blacks, while the pre-Civil War to around 1965 was many years of devastation and sorrow, in the present, blacks are proud that they have come so far. Seeing monuments in small rural Southern towns lets the residents as well as random people have a glimpse into the past without having to live in it. Statues dedicated and replicated after Generals commends their work in fighting for a cause that is only understood in the past.