While the quintessential Old West “cowboy” is White in most imaginations, in fact there were Black pioneers in the west during the wild days (usually dated mid-1800s till the end of the century). According to wikipedia, thousands of Black men and women lived in mostly segregated communities in the West, but participated in all parts of Western society. They were traders, gold miners, soldiers, cowboys and farm hands, bartenders, cooks, and, of course, outlaws. I enjoy how these photographs color American history:
Identity unknown, around 1865, Kansas (source):
Nona Marshall, late 1800s, Arizona territory (source):
Black cowboys (1890-1920):
Comments 14
Simetra — March 10, 2011
There were black cowboys in Canada too. Here's a short biography of John Ware:
http://blackpioneers.albertasource.ca/people/john_ware.html
In the late 19th century, some black settlers and cowboys in the United States were pushed north when white settlers came en masse to Oklahoma. The settlers that came to Alberta were pushed into the northern lands of the province that were unsettled because they were swampy and bush-covered.
Dennis — March 10, 2011
This is great! I went to Denver, CO last summer and they have a Black American West Museum:
http://www.blackamericanwestmuseum.com/
tea — March 10, 2011
Just reviewed a book for middle graders which will be out in August called Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri -- it both revisits that history, and links it to modern black folks who still ride. Read more here.
azizi — March 10, 2011
Another facet of the topic of Black people in the American West, is the subject of "Black Indians"*
* The "Mardi Gras Wild Indians" is a referent that may or may not applie to the same populations as "Black Indians".
Here's a link to the Wikipedia page on this topic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Indians_in_the_United_States
And here's a review of "Black Indians: A Hidden Heritage" by William Loren Katz
"The author explores the little-told story of black Indians, defined here as people with dual African and Native American ancestry or African Americans who lived primarily with Native Americans. Using fascinating biographies and detailed research, Katz creates a chronology of this hidden heritage during the settlement of the American West."
Slices of Visuality — March 10, 2011
Very interesting post. A similar research about the social roles of the Black people in the European societies of the 19th century would be also a good idea.
bellacoker — March 10, 2011
There is also a "Cowboys of Color" Museum in Fort Worth, TX.
http://www.cowboysofcolor.org/
Marie — March 10, 2011
There is a music group called The Sons of the San Joaquin made up of three teachers who are carrying on the tradition of cowboy music. They wrote a song called "Whence Came the Cowboy" which tells some history about hispanic and black cowboys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb9R1uXnN_0 Until I heard this song, it just never occurred to me that there were black cowboys - you certainly don't see any movies or pictures that show that there were.
[links] Link salad leaps into the westward sky | jlake.com — March 11, 2011
[...] Black Men and Women of the Old West — A few classic photos. [...]
NiaTrue — March 11, 2011
Don't forget Fort Davis, just outside of Alpine, Texas, home of the Buffalo Soldiers. Great museum and beautiful hiking/horseback-riding country.
cannabis733 — April 27, 2011
there were many black outlaw gangs as well
Ben — June 3, 2015
Build a cowboy town in El Paso Texas, I have 30 acers, I will lease the land for a very small fee