African-American history is grossly under-represented in the US, and the information that is taught is often skewed. This week theme will highlight a few more moments from Black history that you probably were never taught in school.
The image of the Wild West cowboy is one of America’s seminal pieces of lore. In movies and books, we learn about the trailblazing, horse-back riding legends of the great Western plains. But in nearly every depiction, those cowboys are white.
In reality, historians estimate that one in four American cowboys were black.
Black cowboys have a rich, complicated history in the US and remain an important part of American culture to date. The cowboy lifestyle first came into play in Texas, when American settlers would invade the then Mexican owned-territory in the early 1800s. Americans moving into the territory brought enslaved people with them and began setting up plantations. By 1860, after Texas became a part of the Union, about 30 percent of the population was Black.
Following the abolition of slavery, many of those people became in-demand as cowhands. When Texas joined the Confederacy, many slaveowners went off to fight in the Civil War, leaving the people they owned to tend the cattle. But when the war ended, freed people found themselves in high demand for positions as cowhands to ranchers across the south.
It’s also believed that a Black man named Bass Reeves inspired the “Lone Ranger. Born in slavery, Reeves escaped his position of servitude and eventually became a US Deputy Marshal, known for his excellent skills as a marksman, and for riding a silver horse.
***Information courtesy of https://www.insider.com/african-american-history-you-probably-werent-taught-in-school-2020-6 ***