Diversity

Building a nation is difficult work. For the United States, a consistent influx of immigrants and freed slaves supplied a large portion of the necessary manpower to forge a developing nation. This arduous work entailed driving cattle by men of various races, the majority of whom did not resemble John Wayne.

According to historians, up to one in four cowboys were black Americans. Additionally, a lot of the garb worn in western movies is based on customs acquired from Mexican vaqueros, like the lasso, bandana, rodeo, bronco, and chaps (short for Chaparro).

According to William Loren Katz, the author of The Black West, "Right after the Civil War, becoming a cowboy was one of the few careers available to men of color who wished to not serve as elevator operators, delivery boys, or other comparable occupations."

African-American talent was widely displayed in Wild West exhibitions around the turn of the 20th century. For instance, Bill Pickett, a famous early rodeo star and the son of former slaves, is credited with developing the method known as "bulldogging" in which a steer is wrestled to the ground.