Yee-haw! The True History of the American Cowboy

With Savannah Pine 

Thanks to Western novels, films, and television shows, people envision cowboys as John Wayne or Clint Eastwood —in short, as white men. However, cowboys were way more diverse than that. In the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, most cowboys were Mexican; in the Gulf Coast of Texas, most were Black; and, in Oklahoma and North and South Dakota, most were Native American. Additionally, cowgirls also had a part to play in the history of the Wild West, predominately as stunt women. In this workshop, we will learn about the history of the American cowboy and cowgirl from their origins in America with Mexican vaqueros, to cattle drives, to Black cowboy associations who try to teach Black Texans about this history.

Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11)