The myth of the American cowboy grows today as Hollywood uses it as a very popular topic for movies. Not only in the movie industry, but also in literature, cowboys are one of many popular themes used in writing. The cowboy has over time developed into a popular subject for many forms of entertainment, but is what we see and read really the way cowboys were? Or is Hollywood just making it seem that way? .
Although most people believe that the first cowboys were white men, they truly were Spanish and Mexican decent. It was not until the 1800's that white cowboys came into existent. The only reason for the white cowboy was the sight of fortune through cattle. Once the word of a new way to make a fortune, white capitalists began developing ranches all across Texas. This brought out the legacy of the "American Cowboy." .
After the end of the Civil War, many rich ranchers hired Native Americans, freedmen, and others, to manage and transport his cattle as needed. These men usually wore a pair of jeans for comfort, a button down shirt, a vest, and a bandana to keep dust out of their face. From the labor they did compared to the labor of the cowboys of the 1500's, they themselves were known as "cowboys". A cowboy would range from the age of 13 and up. As a wrangler, or young child, they would care for the older men's horses, which could be as many as 8 to 10 horses at once. Although each child cared for only 8-10 horses, some journeys to move herds could take as many as 100 to 150 horses, a wrangler, a trail boss, and a cook with a chuck wagon full of meals. These journeys also had downsides. On occasion, cowboys would transport herds in hail or during a blizzard, have to control a stampede, or even battle through thick dust storms.
The cowboy today, is not nearly as heard of. Today, cowboys are only found mainly in farming communities, or seen in a form of entertainment. Hollywood is a great example of someone who has romanticized the cowboy as they change the way a real cowboy worked and made it into a fun, more adventurous person.
