Cowboy facts that Hollywood gets wrong

While modern-day cowboys exist, the classic cowboy era lasted from the mid 1860s to the mid 1890s. After this period, the image of the cowboy became largely romanticized. Stories, songs, and later books and movies, introduced and perpetuated a number of myths about cowboys.

Many of these myths survive to this day, but what are they? Click through this gallery to find out.

All cowboys wore cowboy hats

Cowboy hats are a really popular accessory, but did all cowboys wear them? Well, not quite.

Cowboys would wear a variety of hats, including bowler hats, slouch hats, and caps. It was not until the end of the 19th century that the Stetson became popular.

All cowboys were white

Cowboys in the Old West were not exclusively white, nor are today’s cowboys. Black, Latino, and Native American cowboys all roamed the Old West.

Black cowboys were particularly common back then. In fact, it’s estimated that 25% of cowboys working in the frontier lands of Texas were African Americans.

All cowboys carried guns

The idea that cowboys were a bunch of gunslingers is yet another myth perpetuated by Hollywood.

Cowboys only carried pistols

Most cowboys are portrayed carrying six-shooters (sometimes two, in movies), but this was not always the case. Many actually preferred rifles or shotguns.

Cowboys had rowdy lifestyles

Cowboys may be portrayed as hard-drinking, wild men in some movies, but in reality, most were simply too tired to party and get into fights on a regular basis.

Cowboys always rode horses

Sure, cowboys rode quite frequently, but not all the time. In fact, many performed a great part of their duties on foot.

They spoke in a distinct drawl

Hollywood movies portray cowboys speaking in a very specific accent, but this wasn’t really the case. The reason is simple: cowboys came from all sorts of backgrounds.

They were mostly young

Again, not quite the truth. There were cowboys from all walks of life, and many were older than the movies suggest.

They were mostly men

While the job was mostly male-dominated, cowgirls and ranch women performed pretty much the same tasks as cowboys.

They spent a long time in saloons

Instead, cowboys would often spend their spare time in bunkhouses at the ranches they were working on, or even in makeshift campsites outdoors.

They wore cool clothes

Instead, cowboys wore practical work clothes. These included plain shirts, wool or canvas trousers (and later jeans), sturdy boots, and hats for weather protection.

They always won showdowns

This is yet another myth perpetuated by Hollywood. As mentioned previously, most cowboys would actually avoid violence, and disputes were often resolved with a fistfight, not guns.

Cowboys were illiterate

Some cowboys had learned how to read and write. There are records of cowboys who kept journals. Some would write letters and read books, too.

They spent most of their time on cattle drives

Cowboys did spend a lot of time on cattle drives, but these were only seasonal, meaning that most of the work was done on the ranch.

Cowboys played the guitar or harmonica

While there were certainly some cowboys who played these instruments, they were not the majority.