Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Cowboys

Thursday, July 27, 2006
Top 10 Historical Figures of All Time: Group #10
http://times-of-trouble.blogspot.com/
Before I proceed with this series of journals I would like to state that the rankings, groups, and everything to do with this "Top 10" is entirely good-hearted fun.

Now that the "parental advisory" label is out of the way, lets proceed, shall we?

Top 10 Historical Figures of All Time: Group #10
Cowboys

How one cannot find the life of a cowboy interesting or attractive is beyond me as the cowboy is easily one of the greatest figures in history; at least American history. Thanks to Hollywood, Cowboys always appear like action-stars who have more than their fair share of booze and gun-fights; however, while the life of a cowboy was hard, it wasn't always exciting. The actual cowboy, not the mythological creature Hollywood has dreamed up, tended cattle and horses on cattle ranches in North and South America, while others worked cattle trails in and around Texas.

While cowboys are often associated with American culture, their roots are found in Spain and Mexico. In the 1600s Spain brought their traditions and horses to the New World through New Spain (Mexico). Prior to Texas' independence from Mexico in the 1800s, Americans lived and worked in Mexico and even more came to Texas after Texas' independence from Mexico. The Americans picked up vocabulary and attire from their Spanish counterparts, integrating them into their own culture. Other cowboys were found in California and the bordering territories herding cattle. After the Civil War, their culture gradually moved east and northward. Gradually the cowboys of the American West shaped a culture of their own in which they focused on frontier and Victorian values. Work on cattle ranches and cattle drives bred a tradition of self-dependence and individualism, which is showcased in their various forms of artwork, such as country-western music and Western movies.

Over time, cowboys have become synonymous with gun-slingers, when in fact the two groups lived very different lives. Also, to everyone's dismays, cowboys did not have wild fights with Indians. Hollywood, however, has transformed the oridnary cowboy into a mythic figure of history, creating an Indian killing, cattle herding, gun-slinger stereotype which cannot be torn down, but perhaps we like it better that way.
posted by Chase @ 7/27/2006 07:49:00 PM

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