Life in the Old West
True stories, tall tales, and memorabilia of the American West

Real life in the American Old West: Join me on the journey

Real life in that time and those places we know as the American West was mostly not like the movie and television fiction we learn about the Old West. Real life was generally much harder, much duller, hotter, dustier, and had little of the glamor we learn from the movies.

In the real Old West, gunfighters were few and far between. Bank robbers and stagecoach holdup artists really were a problem, just as they are in modern times. Well, more accurately, we still have the bank robbers, but not many stagecoaches have been held up since the days of Black Bart. There certainly were cowboys, though very unglamorous cowboys. There were definitely Indians, and, yes, they were called "Indians," never by the modern "politically correct" term "Native Americans."

When and Where Was the Old West?

A word of explanation is in order -- as we journey through "the Old West," we'll be spending a lot of time in the East, and probably talk about times not normally thought of as the Old West. I plan to extend the scope of this website to Eastern politics and money interests, for that shaped much of what we call the "Old West."

We also will be looking at a broader time frame than normally included in Western American history. Most folks think of the Old West beginning around or just after the Civil War. But in reality, it began much earlier. I am interested in going as far "back" in history as the end of the War of 1812 (that would be in 1815 or so) -- because westward migration first picked up seriously when war veterans and others began breaching the Appalachians after that conflict and settling further west. Of course, I also want to look at the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, another trigger point in the start of the Old West and western expansion. And I will somewhat arbitrarily end the period with the administration of President Teddy Roosevelt (approximately 1909), for he was in many ways the last great "western" president and did much through the national park system to shape the present American West.

Life in the Old West Articles, Categories:

For your convenience, all the articles and special features on our site can be found by clicking on the categories below, and on the sidebar "Recent Articles" listings. We invite you to browse around and come back often as we continue to grow the website with useful information and links to satisfy your interest in life in the Old West!

Old West History, Old West research, Western History

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  • Civil WarRead articles about how battles, places, and people of the Civil War shaped the American West.
  • CowboysWhat would life in the Old West have been like without cowboys? It's hard to imagine a "wild West" or any other sort of West if you subtract the tales and tall tales that have made America's love affair with cowboys what it is.
  • HorsesWho could say what the settlement of the Old West, indeed everything about life in the Old West, would have been like without the horse? (Early Indian-Native American cultures in the West before the arrival of horses give us glimpses of scattered, nomadic tribal groups moving across the Plains.
  • Indian WarsThose military campaigns known uniformly in the military history of the Old West as "the Indian Wars" were a sad, violent chapter in American life.
  • Indians-Native AmericansWe will be using the term "Indians" frequently and interchangeably on this website with "Native Americans.
  • Old West HistoryOur "Old West History" category is sort of a catch-all for fun stuff about life in the American West that doesn't easily fit into one of the other categories.
  • Old West HolidaysFrom Independence Day to Christmas, and many modern-day holidays in between, people who settled the West enjoyed celebrations at holiday times.
  • Old West MemorabiliaOld West collectibles and memorabilia remain popular with many because they remind us of true tales and tall tales of a time and region that appeals to our sense of simpler times -- times when principles mattered and life was as uncomplicated as "good" v.
  • Old West OutlawsOutlaws and gunfighters were often the villains or bad guys of the Old West, at least according to popular understanding.
  • PersonalNot much to see here - just opinions and other personal stuff from me, Old Hoppy.
  • Pioneers and SettlersFrom Mountain Men to sod-busters, to scouts, to sod-busters, the pioneers and settlers were the first waves of white Americans to discover and shape the Old West.
  • Prospecting and MiningProspecting and mining probably motivated expansion into the American West more than any other single factor.
  • RailroadsRailroads shaped America from early on, and they both opened up the West and influenced how it was settled.
  • Ranching and FarmingAs the West was settled, ranchers and farmers were often bitter opponents.
  • Television WesternsNot long ago, television Westerns dominated American TV viewing habits.
  • Wagons and TrailsThough many individuals and even groups of adventurers headed west on foot, wagons pulled primarily by horses, oxen, and mules really shaped the exodus westward.
  • Western BooksLearn more about the Old West - fact and fiction. You'll find a world of information about life in the Old West found in nonfiction narratives, memoirs of people who lived through the places and events that shaped the West, and even some good Western fiction by some mighty fine writers.
  • Western Clothing and FashionHave you ever wondered why Abraham Lincoln wears such wrinkled, baggy pants in so many of the photos that were taken of him? Was he making an unusual fashion statement? Was he just carelessly wrinkled in his wardrobe? Find information (and even some online shopping bargains) about clothing and fashions of the West.
  • Western ExpansionAmerica's westward expansion created the "life in the Old West" this website is all about.
  • Western FirearmsFirearms were a vital part of America's Old West. From derringers to Winchester rifles, in the "Western Firearms" Category, you'll read about the firearms that won the West - or at least helped a lot of people settle there.
  • Western GiftsIf you love memorabilia and collectibles, and you also love the Old West, you can find some wonderful Western gifts on eBay.
  • Western LawmenNext to cowboys, the lawmen of the Old West probably have been more glamorized and romanticized more than any other public figures.
  • Western Towns and CitiesFounding of towns and cities naturally followed on the heels of the pioneers and settlers.
  • Western VideosThere are some great Western videos available, making it easy to bring the fun of the Old West into your home.
  • Western WebsitesLooking for others who share your passion about the Old West? Here are some websites with book reviews, film reviews, and some good resources for researching life in the American West.
  • Western WritersSome mighty fine Western writers out there need your attention.
  • WesternismsWesternisms, those words and phrases or language usage unique to the Old West, have made our language what it is today.
  • Women of the WestWomen played a key role in the expansion and settlement of the Old West, from hardy pioneer wives to leading mining and business executives.

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