Western — dc

American Old West

Gallery

Official Name

American western frontier

Event Aliases

American frontier, American Old West, Wild West, Old West, American Westward Territorial Expansion

First Appearance
New Fun Comics #1 (February, 1935)

The American Old West (1607-1920)—also known as the Wild West and American Western Frontier—was a time period in American history when the government and popular culture encouraged settlers to spread across the Western frontier. This was an era of dangerous lawlessness in the wilderness and among the settlements, and the heroes and villains who arose would pass into legend.

History

When the western United States were first opened for settlement, the promise of gold strikes, land ownership, and personal freedom attracted people from all walks of life out onto the new frontier. Trains of Conestoga wagons made their ways across the prairies, deserts, and mountains of the western territories.

Numerous Native American civilizations already existed, and in some cases fought against the seizure of their land. Criminals unwelcome elsewhere made this part of the world extremely dangerous for the pioneering farmers, ranchers, miners, and other settlers moving into these new lands. On all sides of any number of conflicts and both sides of the law, life was violent here, and life expectancy was low.

As soldiers, then rangers, then marshals and sheriffs gradually gained control of the area, Native Americans perished by the millions, and many of them were forced to adopt "civilized" lifestyles to survive.

By 1920, most of the territories had attained statehood, while towns and cities were founded. Stagecoach trails and railroads were built, and telegraph cables were strung, to connect these settlements to each other and to the more established cities back East.

Comics

Links and References

American Old West at Wikipedia.org