Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong cover image

Myth of the Month 21: The Old West

Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong

CHAPTER

Cowboys vs Indians

There's a notion whether it's true or not, there's a notion that American children traditionally play games of cowboys and Indians doing mock battles. That idea was so ubiquitous by the mid-20th century that it even became a cliche for American pilots and soldiers in the Vietnam War to refer to the war itself as a great game ofcowboys and Indians. Yet if we talk to cowboys themselves, whether those who actually lived through the high droving period in the 19th century or those later on who sort of styled themselves as archetypal cowboys their actual view of Indians is very different. There's actually a sense of connection and affinity even continuing up into the mid-

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