The Movie Myth and the Historical Reality of the Old West, by John Engelman

[JohnEngelman]

The American West On Film: Myth and Reality, edited by Richard A. Maynard, consists of essays about the old west, and Hollywood movies inspired by the old west. What we think of as the old west was the western states during the period from the end of the Civil War in 1865 to the end of the Indian wars in 1890.

This was an iconic period of American history, and a topic that should be covered at greater length.

One essay in this anthology makes an assertion I believe. Another essay makes an assertion I doubt.

First, unlike the Hollywood image of the Old West, blacks were prominent in the old west as cow boys, cavalry men, sheriffs, and out laws.

Second, the anthology asserts that there were no fast draw gun fights in the old west. “Gentlemen, Scholars, and Scoundrels,” is an anthology of articles that appeared in Harper’s Magazine from 1850 to 1959.

“Wild Bill,” by George Ward Nichols tells of several fast draw gun fights Wild Bill Hickok got into. The article appeared in Harper's February, 1867.

In my head I have a story about a black Union veteran of the Civil War. As a bounty hunter he rides into a town because he expects it to be attacked by a band of outlaws. Nearly everyone in the town treats him with contempt, because of his race. This includes the sheriff. Eventually the town is protected by the lone gunman and the sheriff. They become friends.

The sheriff becomes the Union veteran’s best man when he is married to a black girl in the town. Because the sheriff was badly wounded in the showdown where he and the black guy killed all the outlaws, the bounty hunter becomes the new sheriff of the town.

I am sure stories like that really happened back then. They should be told now.

 

[Rightguide]

Guess you never heard of Bass Reeves.

 

[YDB95]

It is fairly well known (among historians anyway) that there were a lot of Black cowboys in the decades after the Civil War. It makes perfect sense if you think about it: the end of Reconstruction meant they were no longer welcome in the South as anything but slaves by a different name, and the North wasn't much more welcoming. So why not move to where there were hardly any people and the ones who were there couldn't really abuse you because you had an essential job?

And almost everything people "know" about the Old West is a myth. Just for starters, there is no evidence whatsoever that anyone was ever called out at high noon for a duel. That was most likely invented for the movie High Noon.

 

[JohnEngelman]

Guess you never heard of Bass Reeves.

No I have not. Tell me about Bass Reves.

 

[colddiesel]

No I have not. Tell me about Bass Reves.

There's a decent wiki article on him. An interesting side note is that his second wife was a Cherokee Indian slave - not a Cherokee Indian but a black slave of the Cherokees in the Oklahoma territory.

 

[JohnEngelman]

There's a decent wiki article on him. An interesting side note is that his second wife was a Cherokee Indian slave - not a Cherokee Indian but a black slave of the Cherokees in the Oklahoma territory.

Bass Reeves (July 1838 – January 12, 1910) was an American law enforcement official, historically noted as the first black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River. He worked mostly in Arkansas and the Oklahoma Territory.[a] During his long career, he had on his record more than 3,000 arrests of dangerous fugitives, and shot and killed 14 of them in self-defense.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Reeves

colddiesel, thank you for telling me about Bass Reeves. He seems like an interesting person.

 

[schism666]

No I have not. Tell me about Bass Reves.

a poorly educated racist pops off on a topic he is ignorant of. imagine that.

dumb racists are a funny lot.

 

[JohnEngelman]

a [sic] poorly educated racist pops off on a topic he is ignorant of. imagine that.

dumb [sic] racists are a funny lot.

You should have stayed in school. You might have learned how to write, and how to reason. Then again, perhaps you lack the intelligence for that.

 

[schism666]

You should have stayed in school. You might have learned how to write, and how to reason. Then again, perhaps you lack the intelligence for that.

i did stay in school, that's why i know who bass is and your poorly-educated racist ass does not.

 

[LincolnDuncan]

I'm a freak for the western genre. I am contemptuous of the crap that was produced in the 50s. The best western I saw recently which also might also be historically accurate is" The English" with Emily Blunt. "Deadwood" was great, and "Godless" is good too.

 

[JohnEngelman]

i did stay in school, that's why i know who bass is and your poorly-educated racist ass does not.

I do not pretend to know everything. I make a reasonable effort to be informed.

 

[schism666]

I make a reasonable effort to be informed.

that's poorly educated racist talk.

 

[JohnEngelman]

that's [sic] poorly educated racist talk.

If you are well educated you are hiding it well.

 

[schism666]

If you are well educated you are hiding it well.

you keep using "[sic]" incorrectly, poorly educated racist. i know i am not utilizing caps. it's petty and desperate.

 

[Cuckwannabe111]

My opinion is this...

1) no, I doubt there were many fast draws at high noon. That is an exciting element for Hollywood

2) people of all races and creeds were prominent in the West. If you study history, you will find that to be true. It was a place a person could go to make their own way in life. Yes, some prejudices did follow, but it seems people were more accepting of a person's qualities as opposed to skin color.

3) anyone who titles their threads with thier own names, and tries to write dissertations on a sex chat site, is a special kind of window licking person

 

[schism666]

My opinion is this...

1) no, I doubt there were many fast draws at high noon. That is an exciting element for Hollywood

2) people of all races and creeds were prominent in the West. If you study history, you will find that to be true. It was a place a person could go to make their own way in life. Yes, some prejudices did follow, but it seems people were more accepting of a person's qualities as opposed to skin color.

3) anyone who titles their threads with thier own names, and tries to write dissertations on a sex chat site, is a special kind of window licking person

the poorly educated racist put his name on a thread and then omitted one of its topics biggest players. even another poorly educated racist, vetteman, pointed that out right away.

 

[AlexBailey]

Whenever I see someone with the bumper sticker,
“Eat Beef, The West Wasn’t Won On Salad.”

I remind them that it was Non-GMO, Organic, Grass-fed beef.

 

[JohnEngelman]

you [sic] keep using "[sic]" incorrectly, poorly educated racist. i know i am not utilizing caps. it's petty and desperate.

You are also an inarticulate, low class thug. Get your G.E.D. certificate. Then maybe we can have a civilized discussion. We can't have one, if I am the only one who keeps up standards.

 

[schism666]

You are also an inarticulate, low class thug. Get your G.E.D. certificate. Then maybe we can have a civilized discussion. We can't have one, if I am the only one who keeps up standards.

you're in no position to talk to me about education, you poorly educated racist. i have corrected you several times and pointed out your blatant errors and lies.

i don't have civilized conversations with poorly educated racists. too bad for you.

 

[ll74]

You are also an inarticulate, low class thug. Get your G.E.D. certificate. Then maybe we can have a civilized discussion. We can't have one, if I am the only one who keeps up standards.

The difference between the responses is stark and telling, once je finds out they are non-white.

 

[Fuzzy1975]

The difference between the responses is stark and telling, once je finds out they are non-white.

Racism on display....*chuckles* no wonder he is scared shitless to post his Racism on any other media, or more to the point, in person.