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While farming and working on the land was demonstrated as luxurious and successful, that was not really the case. It was made out to be this extravagant working environment that would allow for economic success. Nevertheless, the myth of working more of the land would grant you a better life was not true. The farming conditions were poor, due to the little amount of rain received. It was difficult for farmers to grow crops let alone sell them. When they did sell them, they received little pay which was not exactly the "American Dream" they were hoping for.
Myth
The belief that the Transcontinental Railroad increased all different kinds of opportunities attracted people to West. This included the theory that the building of the railroad was an easy going process that would result in flourishing innovation. The myth included the positives of the railroad while in reality it wasn't beneficial to all kinds people. For example, it was harder for farmers and cowboys to make money due to all the new advances in technology as a result of the railroad. Also, the railroad was extremely expensive and cut through mountains and deserts. It was not easy to build due to all the parts, and many people slaved over building it and did hard labor. Most of the workers were foreigners. However, it did allow for Westward travel, resulted in an economic boom, allowed for mass production, and sparked a rise in business.
Part of the myth of the West included this idea that one could make a fortune because of the gold and opportunities. Since mining rushes included lots of gold, it led people to believe that you could obtain wealth by moving West. The reality of the mining rushes were far from the dreamy myth people believed. The California Gold Rush led to overnight boom towns and people would stop in little cities until all the gold was gone. Most miners were foreigners which led to them being taxed and the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Mining caused a debate over value as well as environmental scars in the West instead of prospering it. The rushes caused conflict and people would go through underground tunnels and fight over gold.
In pop culture, when people think of cowboys they picture a fearless American romantic riding a horse with a gun. As a result of this myth, it is difficult to know what the reality of what life was like for the American cowboy. Cowboy's were not as powerful and virtuous as the folklore made them out to be. They came to the West looking for jobs and did hard labor. They constantly drove cattle North to ranches to be slaughtered so the meat could be distributed. Despite their hard work, cowboys were poorly paid. Most of them weren't even from America.
Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows exaggerated the myth of the West and the depiction of the frontier. The "Western" in pop culture romanticized the West in movies and novels to demonstrate the land as an adventurous place. This entertainment did not include the harshness of the West and the challenges people had to face on a daily basis. The West was not the dreamy and romantic place that the myth had portrayed it to be. It was not wild and adventurous and people worked hard to earn money. The Wild West was shaped by the economic system, and affected the way people actually lived their lives.
The myth of the American buffalo is this idea that buffaloes were just roaming the landscape wild and free. In reality, buffaloes were not wandering freely and instead they were exterminated. The population of the buffaloes decrease rapidly to the point where there was only under a hundred left. Additionally, Native Americans viewed the buffalo as sacred and as a symbol of success. When things didn't go their way, they continued to "follow the buffalo" which was this spiritual belief that white men would be expelled from the land if the Natives kept following the buffalo.
The Western Landscape
There was this myth about the Western Landscape that lead people to believe the West embodies characteristics of success. The myth included the idea that the Western landscape was this beautiful place with rolling hills, rivers, as well as lots of room to farm and settle. Also, the myth that more land would guarantee you a better life and the ability to make something out of nothing attracted people to come to the West. However, the landscape was not as promising as it was made out to be. The Western Frontier consisted of the Great Plains which were not good for settlement. The land was not beneficial for farming because there was only about 15 inches of rain each year. There were no rivers and it was not that beautiful of a setting as the myth had indicated.
The myth about Native Americans in the West includes this idea that they were barbaric savages. They were violent and uncivilized due to their culture and therefore did not belong in the West. However, dozens of Native American tribes actually occupied the West and lived in several different settlements. They were not actually savages, they were just considered outsiders because of their race. In the Medicine Lodge Treaty, all the tribes were squashed into one particular area. Also, they were often forced off their lands which lead to many conflicts. This was unfair to them, especially since the West was supposed to guarantee freedom and opportunity.
Myth
Reality
This idea that the West was a prospering place involving hope and wealth was far from reality. The "beautiful" landscape people expected turned out to be a bunch of wasteland that was no good for farming. It was hard to make money, and there were little opportunities to gain wealth. Even gold mining was difficult to make a plentiful amount of money. Native Americans were treated poorly and their lives were not made better in the expansion of the West. The overall myth of the West lead people to imagine this ideal setting, including romantic cowboys, endless opportunities, buffaloes wandering freely, along with the destination of the American Dream which left people oblivious to the harshness of the West. The myth of the West was described as a place of possibility and freedom when really, the West was far from this wild, free, and adventurous environment. People had to work hard to make a living, and they could not live a life of liberation due to the limitations of their surroundings.
The myth of the the West differs from the reality of the west in several ways. Due to all the cultural influences, there was this idea that the West was the destination of the American Dream and opportunity. When people pictured the Old West, certain images popped up in their head. Some of these included handsome cowboys, loads of wealth, and a beautiful landscape with lots of room to farm. As a result of this myth making the West out to be a thrilling and wild place, people who did not go West were unaware of the actuality of this part of America. It wasn't as easy and amazing to live in the West as the myth had portrayed. Not everyone got the freedom and wealth that they were expecting. There was a lot going on in the West, and some factors limited the West's supposed theory of the "American Dream" through the realities of the various challenges people had to put up with.