History of American Cowboys

The western United States has long been associated with cowboys. Even now, many remnants of that culture remain. Scottsdale, Arizona is known as the "West's Most Western Town" and features Rawhide, a cowboy tourism park. Although Scottsdale is known more for its shopping and museums, it does have a great deal of western style and influence. More authentic modern cowboys can be found in Wyoming. Officially the "Equality State," Wyoming's unofficial nickname of "The Cowboy State" often seems equally apt. Even today, it's not uncommon to see a cowboy tending cows on the prairie.

The history of American cowboys is long and exciting. The first cowboys were from Spain and were known as vaqueros. Cows in Spain grazed on vast, open fields and could not be supervised effectively by a farmer on foot. The first American cowboys were from a variety of background, but cowboy culture was a melting pot. Cowboys simply didn't care as much about ethnicity as the rest of the nation.

During the time of the American Civil War, discrimination against non-whites was very significant, particularly in the south where slavery was legal. Many cowboys were black, Mexican or Native Americans.

Throughout the history of American cowboys, these men were known as tough but fair, honest, courageous, and hard-working. They didn't value background as much as a decent work ethic. Since Washington's law enforcement often didn't reach the plains or the southwest, cowboys frequently had to take the law into their own hands.

Cowboys typically had little equipment. Although today's cowboys often have decorative articles among their gear, the cowboys of yesteryear possessed only what was necessary to get the job done.

Jeans were commonly worn by cowboys because of their durability. Leather chaps provided additional protection from brush and thorns. A loose fitting, long sleeved shirt kept some of the sun off, but breathed well enough to keep cool. A wide brimmed "ten gallon" cowboy hat provided shade for the face and neck and kept out water when it rained. High boots with a pointed toe and pronounced heel were easy to use with stirrups and prevented the cowboy's foot from becoming trapped if he should fall from his horse.

Other equipment used by American cowboys included a bandanna, spurs, leather gloves, a knife, a lasso and a .45 colt revolver. The lasso or lariat is used to select individual members of a cattle herd, often for branding or other purposes.