Our Fake History Episode #241 - Who Invented the Wild West? (Part II)
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Dec 16, 2025 Explore the extravagant world of Buffalo Bill's Wild West spectacle. This podcast delves into how it transformed from a circus to an educational showcase of American history. Discover the fabricated history behind thrilling reenactments and how Indigenous performers were used while often reduced to stereotypes. Learn about Sitting Bull's surprising role in the show, and how Buffalo Bill, though flawed, advocated for Native rights. The captivating mix of myth, nostalgia, and entertainment presents a unique lens on America's frontier narrative.
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Progress As A Geographic Timeline
- Thomas Jefferson and 19th-century thinkers viewed the U.S. as a timeline of human progress from west to east.
- Buffalo Bill's persona and Wild West show exploited that narrative to portray frontier progress as inevitable and noble.
Performance Posed As Authentic History
- Buffalo Bill packaged his Wild West as educational 'history flesh' to gain middle-class respectability.
- The show's claim to authenticity gave its invented scenes cultural power and credibility.
Fiction Amplified Into Myth
- Most reenactments in the Wild West were fictional or heavily altered to suit drama.
- The show reinforced preexisting American myths rather than challenging audiences' views.
