The iconic vision of an American cowboy of early 19th century arose from the Vaquero tradition of northern Mexico and became legend. When Spanish settlers brought longhorn cattle to the Southwest they also brought the traditions of cattle wrangling. The Spanish term for cowboy is vaquero. Ranch hands who drove the cattle from Mexico into what is now the southwestern part of the United States were called Cowboys. Western wear has its roots in this unique Spanish culture as well. In the early 1900s railroad advertisements meant for tourists created images of the cowboy as a clean-cut Anglo-Saxon singing songs by a campfire.  Hollywood movies popularized this image with Westerns in the 1930s and 40s.

Western Expansion games that Pioneer childrens played

Western Expansion: Pioneer Era Games That Laura Ingalls Would Have Played

Western Expansion Early American Pioneer Children's Games

Western Expansion Historically Accurate American Pioneer Children's Games

Play Stock a Chuckwagon, Lead a Cattle Drive, Do You Speak Cowboy?, Stampede!

Pecos Bill (cartoon video, cowboy folktale)

Ride Cowboy Ride (song, video cartoon)

The American Cowboy (video)

Cowboys today - keeping the cowboy tradition alive (video)

Cowboys (short video)

Louisiana Purchase

Lewis and Clark

Overland Trails - Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, Life on the Trail

Pioneers, Early Settlers

Gold Rush

Wild West

Western Growth - Cattle Ranches, Indian Wars, Pony Express

Railroads