Cowboys

Cowboys were only around for 15 years

The cowboy has been a key figure in our cultural imagination for about 150 years, embodying a romanticised ideal of masculinity, bravery and liberty. Historically, however, the cowboy only really existed for a short period of time between 1865 and 1880.

During the Civil War, many ranchers set their cattle free as they were unable to look after them. These animals reproduced and formed wild herds that roamed the country. Cowboys—often former slaves with no property to call their own, Mexicans and Native Americans—spotted a possibility to earn a living. They captured the wild cattle and sold them. By the 1880s, ranchers had begun fencing in their pastures—the invention of barbed wire in 1873 had helped to accelerate the process. The traditional cowboy became increasingly superfluous.

The mythological supercharging of the cowboy figure would not begin until 1883, thanks to Buffalo Bill and his Western shows, which became extremely popular in both America and Europe. These productions were a key factor in making the cowboy one of the most iconic figures in American culture over the next thirty years. Ever since, the cowboy myth has been constantly reinterpreted in art, the media and everyday life. Be it rodeo events, Western riding, reenactments, dances, Western movies, carnival, music or fashion—the cowboy appeals to people all over the world, regardless of its historical realities.

There are, however, also those who consider themselves the true descendants of the cowboys: farmers, cattle ranchers and professional rodeo riders in the USA.

Due to the complexity of the cowboy, it is worthwhile taking a more in-depth look. In what ways do the clichés correspond to historical and/or current realities? How do people identify with the cowboy role today? How big is the impact of its various interpretations within the context of international media? And how does the cowboy present itself in the context of gender debates? It’s possible that there are more new questions than answers to these questions.