Western Myth vs. Reality

During the 1870s, the myth of the cowboy fueled Western romanticism and encouraged expansion. Cowboys were idealized as noble men who upheld the virtue of goodness. However, the lives of cattle herders were not pleasant. This job required more physical labor than actual heroic duels or gunfights. In the Western "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly", the standoff starring Clint Eastwood is highly dramatized. He is portrayed as a valiant man defending his share of hidden Confederate gold. Again, the reality of being a poorly paid cowboy did not include searching for diversions in the form of buried gold or gunfights.

The reason this particular Western myth lives today is because it is a part of American culture. Towards the end of the 19th century, cities in the East were becoming increasingly industrial. Many people began to look to the West as an untouched land brimming with opportunity. Migration to the West grew because people were eager to begin their own enterprises. As a result, the "natural man", or cowboy, became a symbol of the better life people thought was available in this region.