Frontier life: everything you wanted to know

Summary

History Extra Podcast: Episode Summary Title: Frontier Life: Everything You Wanted to Know
Release Date: August 9, 2025
Host: Eleanor Evans
Guest: Karen Jones, Professor of Environmental and Cultural History at the University of Kent
Producer: Immediate Media

---

Introduction

In the episode titled "Frontier Life: Everything You Wanted to Know," host Eleanor Evans engages in an in-depth conversation with historian Karen Jones to demystify the realities of 19th-century American frontier life. Produced by Immediate Media, this episode delves into the myths versus the actual experiences of settlers, the impact on Indigenous populations, gender roles, technological advancements, and the enduring legacy of the Wild West in popular culture.

---

Defining the Frontier

Karen Jones provides a comprehensive definition of the frontier, emphasizing its dual nature as both a physical space and a potent mythological concept. She states:

“The frontier as a place and as an idea really exemplifies the west, the Wild West, the west that was won and lost in the 19th century” (02:56).

She traces the frontier's timeline from the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 to the official closure in 1890 when the U.S. Census Bureau declared the western territories fully settled. This period is marked by American exceptionalism and the frontier thesis proposed by historian Frederick Jackson Turner in 1893, which posited that westward expansion was fundamental in shaping American democracy and character.

---

Drivers of Westward Expansion

Jones identifies several key motivations that propelled settlers westward:

1. Opportunity and Land Acquisition: The Homestead Act of 1862 offered settlers 160 acres of land for free, provided they cultivated it for five years. This act was instrumental in attracting diverse groups, including women and African Americans, who could claim land without racial barriers (08:12).

2. Economic Aspirations: Beyond farming, the pursuit of gold and minerals during events like the California Gold Rush motivated many to undertake perilous journeys (13:38).

3. Religious Freedom and New Beginnings: Groups such as the Mormons sought sanctuary and the ability to rebuild their communities in the West (13:38).

Karen Jones comments on the manifest destiny ideology:

“Manifest Destiny projects a God-given right of Americans to subdue the continent, to claim the land, to make it theirs” (08:12).

This belief was deeply intertwined with notions of American nationalism and imperialism, justifying the displacement of Indigenous populations and the relentless push westward.

---

Patterns of Migration

The migration westward occurred in distinct phases:

1. Early 1800s: Missionaries and fur trappers were among the first to venture west, establishing initial connections with Indigenous peoples.

2. 1840s-1850s: The Oregon Trail became the main artery for settlers, farmers, and 49ers seeking fortunes in California's goldfields.

3. Late 1800s: The advent of the railroad transformed migration patterns, reducing travel time and increasing the volume of settlers (13:38).

Jones notes that approximately 300,000 to 500,000 people traveled the Oregon Trail between 1841 and 1884, highlighting the massive scale of westward movement.

---

Impact on Indigenous Populations

The relentless westward expansion had profound and often devastating effects on Indigenous communities:

• Initial Encounters: Early interactions ranged from curiosity and trade to tribute systems, as small groups of settlers initially moved into ancestral lands.

• Forced Removals: The Indian Removal Act of 1830 under President Andrew Jackson led to the Trail of Tears, forcibly relocating 60,000 Indigenous people, with approximately 16,000 deaths (20:53).

• Reservation System: As mining and settlement intensified, Indigenous tribes were confined to reservations, exemplified by the Black Hills removal, which destroyed sacred sites for mineral exploitation (20:53).

Jones emphasizes that these actions are viewed by scholars and activists as acts of cultural genocide, with lasting implications still evident today on reservations.

---

Challenges of Frontier Life

Life on the frontier was fraught with numerous dangers and hardships:

• Environmental Obstacles: Settlers faced harsh climates, disease, and terrain challenges like river fording and mountain passes.

• Logistical Difficulties: Unpreparedness often led to mishaps such as wagon breakdowns, stampedes of oxen, and shortages of essential supplies (24:45).

• Health Risks: Diseases like typhus plagued wagon trains, with many diaries recounting the brutal realities faced daily (24:45).

Jones recounts:

“There are lots of descriptions of the early parts of the trail being littered with all sorts of heirlooms which families understandably take on their trip, but very soon find that they're not practical, but just heavy and cumbersome” (24:45).

---

Gender Roles on the Trail

The journey westward significantly altered traditional gender roles:

• Adaptability: Women had to become highly adaptable, taking on roles such as wagon driving, firewood gathering, and childcare, which were traditionally managed by men (26:58).

• Empowerment: Some women embraced these new responsibilities, finding a sense of empowerment and resilience that challenged existing societal norms (26:58).

Jones explains:

“Women are the motors of the whole thing. They keep the whole thing running” (26:58).

This shift contributed to the early enfranchisement of women in Western states, with Wyoming granting women the vote in 1869, earlier than most other American states (30:14).

---

Technological Innovations Facilitating Expansion

Several key inventions were pivotal in enabling westward expansion:

1. Barbed Wire (1867): Revolutionized land ownership by allowing cattle ranchers and homesteaders to efficiently fence large areas, often leading to conflicts over land use (31:19).

2. Repeating Rifles: Firearms like the Winchester 73 were essential for protection against wildlife and were symbolic in the law enforcement of the frontier towns (31:19).

3. Refrigerated Rail Cars (1870s): Enabled the transportation of perishable goods, particularly cattle from the West to urban centers in the East, fueling the growth of the meatpacking industry (31:19).

Jones highlights the ecological impact of these technologies, notably the near-extinction of the bison, which drastically altered the prairie ecosystem and affected Indigenous lifeways dependent on these animals (31:19).

---

Settlement Patterns and Town Development

The nature of settlement varied based on the economic drivers:

1. Farming Centers: Characterized by scattered farmsteads and railroad hubs, facilitating the export of agricultural goods.

2. Mining Towns: Emerged rapidly as boom towns with dense, male-dominated populations, often leading to the creation of ghost towns once resources were depleted (36:16).

3. Planned Settlements: Examples like Salt Lake City showcased organized and industrious communities, contrasting with the unruly image of mining towns (36:16).

Jones notes the diversity of settlements, including African American communities in places like Topeka, and the presence of Black cowboys, challenging the monolithic portrayal of the West (40:20).

---

Myth vs. Reality: The Lawless Wild West

The episode critically examines the popular mythology of the Wild West as a lawless, gun-toting frontier:

• Reality: While early frontier towns like Dodge City experienced violence and disorder, civic authorities quickly established law and order, enforcing regulations such as firearm prohibitions and maintaining public safety (42:17).

• Hollywood vs. History: Figures like Wyatt Earp are often romanticized in media, overshadowing the mundane responsibilities of frontier lawmen, such as fire extinguishing and animal control (42:17).

Jones remarks:

“Most of the time, the Western law enforcers were putting out fires, chasing stray animals that escaped” (45:22).

---

Frontier Life in Popular Culture

Jones recommends several representations of frontier life in media that offer diverse and nuanced perspectives:

1. Deadwood (TV Series, 2004-2006): Portrays a brutal and corrupt frontier town, emphasizing resource conflicts and the construction of myths (48:11).

2. Quick and the Dead (1995): Features a female gunfighter, challenging traditional gender roles and the perpetuation of Western myths.

3. Meek's Cut Off (2010): Depicts the ordeal of wagon train travelers, focusing on leadership failures and the women's resilience (48:11).

4. The Oregon Trail (1980s Video Game): Although simplistic, it serves as an educational tool illustrating the perils of westward migration through interactive gameplay (48:11).

Jones encourages listeners to engage critically with these portrayals:

“Just to encourage people to switch on their inner historian when they're looking at the next Western movie” (51:52).

---

Conclusion

The episode "Frontier Life: Everything You Wanted to Know" offers a comprehensive exploration of the complexities surrounding 19th-century American westward expansion. Through Karen Jones's expertise, listeners gain a balanced understanding of the mythologized Wild West and the harsh realities faced by settlers and Indigenous populations alike. The discussion underscores the importance of critical engagement with historical narratives and popular culture to appreciate the multifaceted history of the American frontier.

---

Key Quotes with Timestamps

• Karen Jones:
  “The frontier as a place and as an idea really exemplifies the west, the Wild West, the west that was won and lost in the 19th century.” (02:56)
  “Manifest Destiny projects a God-given right of Americans to subdue the continent, to claim the land, to make it theirs.” (08:12)
  “Women are the motors of the whole thing. They keep the whole thing running.” (26:58)
  “Most of the time, the Western law enforcers were putting out fires, chasing stray animals that escaped.” (45:22)
  “Just to encourage people to switch on their inner historian when they're looking at the next Western movie.” (51:52)

---

Further Resources

• Karen Jones's Books:

  • Epiphany in the Wilderness
  • Hunting Nature and Performance in the 19th Century American West
  • Calamity: The Many Lives of Calamity Jane

• Related Episodes:

  • Life of Calamity Jane — available by searching “Calamity Jane” on the podcast feed.

---

Timestamp References

• 02:56 – Defining the Frontier
• 08:12 – Drivers of Expansion
• 13:38 – Migration Patterns
• 20:53 – Impact on Indigenous Populations
• 24:45 – Challenges of Frontier Life
• 26:58 – Gender Roles
• 31:19 – Technological Innovations
• 36:16 – Settlement Patterns
• 40:20 – African American Contributions
• 42:17 – Myth vs. Reality
• 45:22 – Law Enforcement in the West
• 48:11 – Cultural Representations
• 51:52 – Encouragement to Engage Critically

---

This summary provides a comprehensive overview of the "Frontier Life: Everything You Wanted to Know" episode from the History Extra podcast, encapsulating the key discussions and insights shared by Karen Jones. By highlighting significant quotes and structuring the content into clear sections, it serves as an informative guide for those unfamiliar with the episode.

Transcript

[Ryan Reynolds]

On WhatsApp, no one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone Ryan Reynolds.

[Mint Mobile Representative]

Here from Mint Mobile. With the price of just about everything going up, we thought we'd bring our prices down. So to help us, we brought in a reverse auctioneer, which is apparently a.

[Eleanor Evans]

Thing Mint Mobile Unlimited Premium Wireless 3030 better get 30 better get 202020 better get 2020 better get 15151515 just 15 bucks a month. Sold.

[Mint Mobile Representative]

Give it a [e-mail] SOL upfront payment.

[Progressive Insurance Representative]

Of $45 for a three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required new customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of network's busy taxes and fees extra.

[JCPenney Representative]

See mint mobile.com this episode is brought to you by JCPenney. Yes, JCPenney, and if you've been there recently, you know it's the place to go for jaw dropping looks at brag worthy prices. They've got something special for every style and budget, not to mention rewards and deals that make finding those hidden gems even sweeter. If you already shop JCPenney, you're already in on the secret. But if not, it's time. Wait, am I sleeping on JCPenney? Shop jcpenney.com yes, JCPenney this episode is.

[Mint Mobile Representative]

Brought to you by Lifelock. When you visit the Doctor, you probably hand over your insurance, your ID and contact details. It's just one of the many places that has your personal info, and if any of them accidentally expose it, you could be at risk for identity theft. Lifelock monitors millions of data points a second. If you become a victim, the they'll fix it guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first [e-mail] podcast terms apply.

[Karen Jones]

Welcome to the History Extra Podcast. Fascinating historical conversations from the makers of BBC History magazine. What was life like on the frontier in 19th century America? What perils awaited those who travelled on wagon trains across plains and mountains to forge new lives? What did these waves of migration mean for the people who already lived in those places? And how lawless were the new towns that sprung up? Well, in this episode, Karen Jones, professor of Environmental and Cultural History at the University of Kent, introduces us to Life on the Frontier. She was speaking to Ellen Evans.

[Eleanor Evans]

Karen, thank you so much for your time and joining us on today's History Extra podcast.

[Karen Jones]

Oh, thanks very much for inviting me. It's really good to have a chat about the West. Always happy to talk about the frontier.

[Eleanor Evans]

It seems like such a time in history where people seem to have really vivid images in mind to draw on. And I, you know, grew up watching reruns of Little House on the Prairie and other people drawn so many different images and representations of this place. So we're going to be going into a lot of the mythology around this and what life was really like. But to start off our conversation, can you give our listeners a sense of what exactly we're talking about here? What sort of time period are we looking at? And what does life on the frontier? What does that term mean?

[Karen Jones]

Okay, that's a good place to start because the frontier as a place and as an idea really exemplifies the west, the Wild west, the west that was won and lost in the 19th century. And I think it's helpful to unpick the frontier as a sort of a conceptual onion so we can get into it and figure out where it starts, where it finishes, what its essential attributes are. So when we're talking about the frontier, which is often the word that's a stand in for the west, we're thinking about the prairies of Mid America, we're thinking about the Rocky Mountains. So we're thinking about a really distinctive geography which is marked by particular aspects to it, particularly aridity, particularly by this miles and miles of short grass prairie. And this was the place where explorers first encountered a realm that was seen as really different from what they had come across before in, in the U.S. so the frontier, very, from very, from its earliest beginnings, if you like, becomes a mythological place, a place of visions and ideals, as well as a material environment. And we, we can define its, I suppose, its chronology and its geography according to American expansion. Some might say that the frontier begins, if you like, when the first American settlers move across the Appalachian Mountains into the Ohio Valley in the mid to late 1700s. But I think probably a more customary way of seeing the frontier is with the west itself. So the space west of the Mississippi river or where the prairie begins, which is chronologically marked often by the Aquas acquisition of the Louisiana purchase by the US in 1803, which is seen as one of the best and greatest land deals in history. $15 million for 820,800,000 square miles of territory that 1803 moment is where the frontier really begins, I think, and charts the story of migration, exploration, settlement, conquest through a 19th century theater and formally finishes in 1890 when the US Census Bureau declares the west one according to density of population there. There are no tracks in their determination left to be settled. And then it's conjured as a place of American exceptionalism, as a place where Americans find themselves. Frederick Jackson Turner is a really critical figure to identify with the frontier. He's a historian who creates the frontier thesis and he presents this in 1893. So just as the, the west has been settled. And what he says is that it's not germ theory, it's not Europe, it's not slavery. None of those things define the us it's the travel westward, the claiming of what he calls not unproblematically free land. So that injects, if you like, an imagined sense of destiny and patriotism into this story. And I guess it kickstarts Western history as a thing and becomes the, the most popular way of seeing Western history until the 1980s, really.

[Eleanor Evans]

So you've given us a sense there of this being a really significant century or so in forging a lot of the stories of America that it projects out and how it sees itself as well in terms of this expansion westward. If we can go sort of right back to the beginning of the period you just outlined for us, what were the main factors driving the expanse westward? And can we touch on a few of maybe the theories and concepts that were sort of invoked at this time to drive people that way as well?

[Karen Jones]

Really the, the most attractive aspect of the west for settlers was opportunity, future progress, the achievement of all their goals and aspirations. And that was in more concrete terms articulated in the pursuit of particular things. For many people it was land, farmland, the west scene as an agricultural utopia. For others it was gold and other minerals. For others, religious freedom. We think particularly here of the Mormons, but other groups too, and for other people too, an escape, a new start, a place where they could reinvent themselves. So the west becomes a catch all for so many people who are looking to improve their lot. And there are, I think there are a couple of landmark ideas and pieces of legislation that choreograph that story. The first is an idea, Manifest Destiny, which is probably quite well known. What this does is project a God given right of Americans to subdue the continent, to claim the land, to make it theirs. And this, you can see, connects very strongly with Turner's ideas later of freeland. That this is space for the taking, doesn't belong to anyone else. So it contains within it an imprinted moral superiority of white Americans. Again, very problematic to think about as a term now and connects very strongly with 19th century conquest and imperialism. It distilled a lot of thought which was hanging around from the. Well, I guess from the early years of the Republic on one level, the idea that America was an exceptional place, a city on a hill with a special path and a special role. But more tangibly, it's connected with a journalist called John O' Sullivan who co the phrase in the mid-1940s, which was a real period of aggressive and rhetorical expansionist thinking and practice. So it's nationalistic, it's imperialistic, it communicates a sort of American way of importance and right that's sanctioned by religion and sanctioned by capitalism to make money, to improve yourself and all of that. There's a raft of legislation which supports and enables this. Of course, probably the most important one of these is the Homestead act from 1862. This grants settlers 160 acres of land for free if they agree to cultivate and improve the land and put a building on it for five years. And this is a hugely attractive tool for people who are seeking to create their farm, their sort of personal salvation. And the grant is available to any head of a household, which in itself is really interesting for two reasons. Because that means that women can claim homesteads. So 1 in 10 homestead claims were filed by women. And it also means that there are no racial barriers to claiming this too, which means that African Americans in the midst of the Civil War or in the aftermath of the Civil War can find in the west their space. So one of the caveats to claiming land is you can't have taken up arms against the US So it's an act which is seeking to unify, it's seeking to bring economic strength, it's seeking to encourage settlement. And it becomes a hugely appealing piece of law that inspires people to get on the wagon train and go on these sort of land grabs. It's not as idealistic as it sounds. A lot of this land can be really hard to work. 160 acres sounds a lot, but isn't when you're dealing with particular slices of arid territory. So actually it didn't deliver as much as it as it promised. But I guess that is the story of the west in microcosm. In many ways.

[Eleanor Evans]

We'll get on to some of what the outcome of this promise is. I'd like to stay a little bit more on the people who are searching for, as you say, land, gold, religious freedom. Can you take us through broad patterns of this migration, and how did that change over the century we're talking about?

[Karen Jones]

Well, it's interesting because if you look at some of the artistic representations of this frontier story, they often depict a procession of people traveling across the West. And I think these visualizations are really helpful to see the democratic imagery that's implanted on this story. What we see, though, are different phases, different stages of migration. The earliest migrants, of which there are not a large number, are missionaries and annex fur trappers who decide to stay in the west, who forge connections, particularly with indigenous people. So this is in the 1810s and 20s. Missionaries go to Oregon in the 1830s. Then it's in the 1840s where migration starts in earnest with the Oregon Trail. Most notably, these are farmers who are traveling to the far west, to the Willamette Valley, seeking that agricultural paradise. There's a steady stream of people that becomes more and more evident to the extent that by the late 1840s and 50s through to the time that the railroad takes over as the route west in the early 1860s, the wagon trails become really congested and overcrowded and dusty. And so from the late 1840s, land and farming is the imperative. So you see family groups traveling, but also from the late 1840s, we see the California Gold Rush would be miners, prospectus, 49ers heading west along the Oregon Trail, but then taking a cut off to the California trail across the Sierra Nevada mountains to seek their fortunes, too. The mid to late 1840s is also the period where Mormon travel to Utah, to Salt Lake City takes off. So you can see there are the. The trappers are the. The first travelers, then missionaries, then the farming settlers, the prospectors, the Mormons, to the tune of something in the region of 3 to 500,000 people traveled along the Oregon Trail between 1841 and 1884. So that gives you a sort of a flavor of that. That procession.

[Eleanor Evans]

Yes. No insignificant undertaking there. I mean, it's so visual and vivid, as you say, these trains making their way across plains and mountains and such. You mentioned that this land is marketed, quote, unquote, as free land. And we should definitely bring in here that obviously there were people and communities already on this land in these areas. What does this migration mean in. You know, I guess we're talking very broad terms here about a lot of different communities, but what does this mean for them?

[Karen Jones]

It means encounters, sometimes cordial, sometimes hostile, with. With a stream of travelers moving across ancestral territories for a whole set of Indigenous people who have have dwelt in what we know as the American west for thousands of years. So initially, when the stream of Euro Americans traveling across is comparatively small, these encounters are marked by curiosity, marked sometimes by trade and exchange, later on by tribute, by trading to travel across territory. And then as time goes on and the trail of settlers becomes more significant and army posts are established along the route, there are more hostile incursions. The attack by indigenous people on the wagon trains is perceived as a significant threat, one which is amplified by certain political constituencies and in popular literature and newspapers as well. But actually, if you look at the statistics, the threats for travelers on the Oregon Trail, disease and various mishaps, environmental mishaps are by far and large the most problematic things. That's not to say that there weren't tense and problematic encounters, but actually the Hollywood impression of the warlike, aggressive Western tribes coming over the hill to attack defenseless settlers is something that is constructed to validate the conquest of this space by the American nation.

[Progressive Insurance Representative]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies just to see if you could save some cash? Well, Progressive makes it easy. Just drop in some details about yourself and see if you're eligible to save money when you bundle your home and auto policies. The process only takes minutes and it could mean hundreds more in your pocket. Visit progressive.com after this episode to see if you could save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[Capella University Representative]

At Capella University Learning online doesn't mean learning alone. You'll get support from people who care about your success, like your enrollment specialist who gets to know you and the goals you'd like to achieve. You'll also get a designated academic coach who's with you throughout your entire program. Plus career coaches are available to help you navigate your professional goals. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more at capella.

[Eleanor Evans]

Edu and alongside this mythology of, you know, this aggression on the part of Indigenous communities and people, there's also the very real removal of them in some cases from their ancestral lands as well. So we're also talking in practical terms as well as this mythologizing of them or othering of them, there's also a forced removal process as well.

[Karen Jones]

Definitely. This again takes particular phases. So the displacement of indigenous people doesn't start in the West. It has its roots in the eastern us. It has its roots in the British colonial period, but it's more Formal or systematic execution starts in the 19th century, particularly the 1830s under Andrew Jackson. President Jackson, who passes the Indian removal act in 1830 to move indigenous communities into what was called Indian Territory. So this is space west of the Mississippi. I guess the most famous example of this is the removal of the Cherokee and other tribes from southeastern US from Georgia in the late 1830s. The forcible removal of people from ancestral lands and transport to this moniker of Indian Territory, which involves the movement of something like 60,000 people and includes, you know, incredibly arduous conditions under which up to around 16,000 people died en route. So a really tragic and a really brutal example of colonialism. So Indian Territory almost becomes this place where indigenous people are removed to when the United States doesn't really know what to do with the West. But very soon as parts of it become seen as valuable, particularly in terms of minerals, so where gold rushes and silver and other rushes occur, then we see further displacement under the auspices of the reservation system. So the Black Hills, really good example of that, where the Lakota are removed from accessing a sacred space to them in favor of that area being opened up for. For gold rushes. I teach a lot on the American west, and I think that's one of the most complicated parts of the story is how you fit together this very romanticized mythology which is alluring. The cowboy, you know, the, the freedom, the. The open range and all of that. How you sit that against this. This incredibly complicated and difficult story of displacement, which can be seen by scholars and activists as acts of cultural genocide. So those discussions continue to be live in the United States because of unresolved land claims, questions of sovereignty and inequities of opportunity which still exist on the reservations today.

[Eleanor Evans]

So clearly an aspect of this story that is still having long felt implications. You mentioned that this was one of the perceived biggest challenges facing white settlers and moving west was encountering these, again, quote, unquote, aggressive groups and worrying about the risks they're in. You mentioned there are obviously other challenges, disease and climate and stuff. Can we go into what this really meant for settlers and these trails day to day?

[Karen Jones]

Yeah, of course. I think the story of life on the trail is a really interesting one. So if you're traveling on a wagon with Oregon in mind, you're thinking about at least four months on the trail to get there. Many people leave quite unprepared, particularly the early travelers. Later on, there are guidebooks and guides, some of which have very little credentials and take people the wrong way. But this. This lack of preparedness means that people learn along the route. There are lots of descriptions of the. The early parts of the trail being littered with all sorts of heirlooms which families understandably take on their trip, but very soon find that they're not practical, but just heavy and cumbersome. So there's a recycling culture, if you like, that that happens where people, you know, they break an axle or a wheel and they'll find something along. Along the route which is, I think, quite interesting in terms of the difficulties encountered. The learning curve is a big one. Then also stampedes of oxen, oxen putting their feet into prairie dog holes. Difficulties fording rivers, mountain passes, tricky weather, running out of water, particularly falling prey to disease, camp fever, typhus. You know, many of the diaries which are written during the time, particularly by women, talk about the difficulties of the trail. You know, they're pretty brutal reading. It was pretty hard.

[Eleanor Evans]

It sounds it. And I mean, we might go into this later, but, you know. Right. Prefer a video game, perhaps. And you mentioned women's experiences there, particularly, what was it about the trail? We've got a listener question here from Furcoat on Instagram, who asks how life on the wagon trains alter gender roles.

[Karen Jones]

It's a really good question. In fact, it's one of the essay questions I posed for students. Gender on the trails is a fascinating subject. Many women who are part of this journey don't make the decision to go themselves in the sense that the decision typically is made by male heads of household in the customs of the time. And so women's diaries often talk about, I guess, anxiety or concern about what they might find. They also talk about aspirations for the utopian farm life at the end, too. But along the way, women are forced to become hugely or show themselves to be hugely adaptable. And this is manifested in various different ways. Costume, for instance, women approach the trail not necessarily very equipped, and many talk about shedding their gloves or changing their attire so they're wearing much more practical things. They take on duties which they're not accustomed to. They drive the wagon trains. And actually, when you think about all of the things that women have to do on the trail, they are the motors of the whole thing. They keep the whole thing running. They are out looking for materials to make fires, which ends up being often being buffalo dung because you can't find much firewood on the prairie. They cook, they look after the kids, they manage the whole running of the. The wagon train. And the men's job is usually drivers or going out hunting. But women also sometimes take on those roles, too, especially when the men are sick or die along the way. And we do see, actually some women diarists really relishing this possibility, really relishing the way that gender roles are stretched. So sometimes through necessity and sometimes through aspiration, gender is transformed along the route. I mean, some women are nervous about this transformation, but many are curious, some are really delighted. And they all record activity with a tremendous amount of resilience.

[Eleanor Evans]

I can only begin to imagine the resilience needed to sort of get through some of the hardship you just outlined. And I think it's really interesting that there's this mixture of opportunity on the one hand, but also just, you know, forced hands by the nature of the hardship of the trail. So really interesting balance there. And I just want to point listeners to an interview you did for the History Extra podcast on a figure known as Calamity Jane, just because I think her story as an individual does bring out a lot of that sort of malleability of identity and sense of opportunity and change that was in the west as well. So do search for that on the channel if you're listening and interested.

[Karen Jones]

Definitely, yeah. And I've talked mostly about life on the trail, but equally, this complexity, this sort of entangled relationship with propriety and possibility happens when women get to their sort of settlement destinations as well, when they, you know, through isolation or through being thrown into all sorts of new situations, they learn new skills and become really critical parts of the frontier story. So much so that although there are more factors involved, it's the Western states that give women the vote considerably earlier than the rest of the United States. So Wyoming is the first in 1869.

[Eleanor Evans]

We'll turn to another listener question now, which also speaks to this sort of sense of innovation and opportunity, I suppose. Quigley on Instagram has asked, what about the inventions of the era that helped the expansion westward? What can you tell us about that?

[Karen Jones]

There are three things that came to mind when I thought about what the technological transformations were. The objects that won the West. I suppose the first of those, I would say, would be barbed wire, which was invented in 1867. The patent was in 1867, and becomes the method by which the ranchers with the cattle interests and the homesteaders come to blows in terms of who has access, who has the right to this. This, you know, bounty of prairie wood, as I've said before, is really hard to find in the West. And so this, this barbed wire transforms the parceling up of the west in a cheap and effective way. The second Thing which I'm sure we'll come on to discuss in more detail, relates to guns, relates to firearms. So the repeating rifle, the Winchester repeating rifle, the Winchester 73, hugely important for the US army as an efficient piece of technology that enabled them to manifest power in the West. Also used by, by settlers, used by cowboys, you know, celebrated as part of the, the sheriff outlaw culture of the west too. So becomes a really important in the, the mythological west, which is often tangled up so closely with what's happening at the time. It has a, a real power even as the west is being made, it's being imagined. And lastly, the refrigerated rail car, which doesn't sound very romantic as a bit of technology, but what this does is mean. It means that cattle which are slaughtered in the cattle towns can be put in refrigerated units and transported to the eastern U.S. you know, to feed the urban populace. It's a symbol of the industri west and the importance of industrialization in this story, that this is an invention that comes into being in the 1870s, invented by a meatpacking entrepreneur called Gustavus Swift. All of these things, wire, firearms, rail cars and railroads have a massive ecological impact on the west, which is decisively shown in the fate of the. The bison, of course, which is an animal which is characteristic of the American west, roamed the west in their millions historically and was used by plains tribes for all manner of different things, but is driven off the open range by the cattle kingdom, enthusiastically abetted by sportsmen who travel on railroads to shoot bisoners, trophy animals by market hunters who kill these animals to make largely into fertilizer, but also who are taking their skins and also by the army who see the destruction of the bison a way to take the power and authority of indigenous tribes away. So, you know, these animals which are so prolific in the west, they blacken the prairie. And early railroads have to stop for days, sometimes overnight, to allow the herds to pass. They're reduced to, you know, a scattered scattering of animals. By the 1870s and early, early 1880s, there are only a couple of hundred left. And ecologically this changes the west because bison eat and graze in a really different way to domestic cattle. They're less heavy on the landscape. And of course their removal signals an entirely different cultural system and economic system, a system of Euro American industrialized agriculture.

[Eleanor Evans]

I think images of the bodies of bison being piled high is a very stark one that many of our listeners might have seen. Obviously it's hugely emot. You've given us plenty of really great visuals so far. Heirlooms being strewn across the plains as these trails make their way through. And the people who are part of this, let's turn to the settlement, the next stage. What happens when these trails stopped? Where did people settle in? And what sort of way were these towns built? How did they spring up?

[Karen Jones]

It varies according to which spaces you're looking at, really, because obviously in the places which become known as sort of farming centers, you have more scattered populations, farmsteads and then hubs, which invariably develop around railroad stations. So transportation is really important in terms of the export of goods from Western sites. So settlement patterns in the rural west are more spread out, whereas in areas where people are flocking to mineral strikes, the demographics are much more concentrated. So you get dense really quickly developing mining towns, which are often haphazard, hastily constructed boom towns. So good examples of this are deadwood example for in the Black Hills, which mushrooms in size really quickly. And they become known for being quite unruly places with huge injections of population. And the demographics there are interesting because they're much more male dominated. So families travel to the farming areas in their entirety, whereas the mining towns attract a young male demographic. So for every 10 men in the mining camps, there's one woman. And the ethos of the mining camp is to go there as a migrant laborer, make money, and then go home again. This often doesn't pan out. So what we see is prospectors leaping from strike to strike across the West. And of course, there are towns that grow up and become more formalized as part of these mining strikes, because money means the establishment of infrastructures. It means the requirement of lawyers to settle land claims, of people to sell equipment, sell food, boarding houses, saloons, brothels. So these pockets of, of mining wealth, some of which are only there for a short time. Places like rhyolite, which is in Nevada, which grows as a mineral boom with lots of built structures and, you know, really elaborate cultural life. But then the minerals run out or the railroad doesn't come to town and they become ghost towns. So you get across the west thousands and thousands of these settlements, which been there as transient examples of prospecting economies and then. And then disappeared. So, yeah, so settlement is really different according to the. The different motors of, of migration. If you look at Salt Lake City for as a third example, I suppose that there with Mormon settlement, it was very planned, it grew very quickly, it used irrigation, the people were incredibly industrious, became quite a choreographed settlement, which was really different to those ramshackle mining towns. That are probably the iconic vision of the West. Cattle towns too were places which attracted a lot of people at certain times of year when the cattle are brought in and then they're quiet elsewhere. So again, these places become really rowdy and unruly and associated particularly with the. The gun culture of the west, with the outlaws and the villains. It's a really interesting patchwork of demographics.

[Eleanor Evans]

Yeah, there's no single answer. I guess that answers how people settled. And another thing I wanted to pick up on is a group of people you mentioned earlier, formerly enslaved people who had either pre civil war or after civil war, with the emancipation, moved further west, you know, broadly. Is there a picture to be seen of how and where they settled?

[Karen Jones]

Kansas becomes a particular epicenter for African American migration. Topeka and other urban centers have a really vibrant and a really important African American Western history. Of course, we also know that there are a lot of black cowboys, which creates a much more cosmopolitan picture of the cattle kingdom than the one that Hollywood gives us with John Wayne and such like Nat Love is one example of a famous African American cowboy who writes his memoirs and becomes a real figure in the folkloric canon. But yeah, certainly those opportunities under the Homestead act are open to African Americans. Although, you know, it has to be said that racial prejudice is still a significant problem in the American west that is directed at African American populations and also against Chinese migrants, which are really important in mining towns and in the construction of the railroad too.

[Eleanor Evans]

Yes, it seems like there are so many facets that overlap, that rub up against each other, that are difficult to know how to approach in this really broad story of the West. And there's not one single story, But I guess something that most people will think they know is that it was a bit of a lawless place. I mean, how true is that? Unpicking this nature of the Wild West.

[Karen Jones]

What I say to students who take my course on the American West, I say to them at the beginning a caveat that they won't be able to watch a Western in the same way again. Because, yeah, we think of this as a gun toting, lawless place. And of course there are elements of truth in that story. But the west was not as wild as Hollywood would have us believe. Yes, there was a huge amount of firearms knocking around after the Civil War. And many of those made their way into the west with Winchester and Colt. They became cheap to produce and mass produced, easy to obtain. And they were, you know, an important tool of those who are traveling and settling. But they're used More for frightening away wild animals and as, I guess, symbols of deterrence than the movies would have us think. So if you look at somewhere like Dodge City, which is the, you know, one of the archetypal centers of glorified gunfights in. In the. In the frontier imagination in its first couple of years as cattle town, it is a violent place. You know, there are homicides, there's. There's a lot of fights when the cowboys all come to town for the roundup, there's a lot of drinking, a lot of letting off steam. It's not a particularly safe place, but very soon it settles down because those who are the magnates in the town, the civic authorities, they want their place to be safe and attractive for people to settle. So you see in early photographs of Dodge City, signs up on the edge of the town saying, carrying a firearm's not permitted. People have to put their guns, lock their guns away. The forces of the law are there to enforce this as well. But again, when we think about people like Wyatt Earp and the sheriff, characters of the west, we imagine them going down the dusty street, you know, high noon, shooting down bad guys. But most of the time, the Western law enforcers were putting out fires, chasing stray animals that escaped. Much more prosaic and boring things, I suppose, than enforcing law with the power of a gun. But it is really interesting how that flavour has become so integral to what the frontier is. So, I guess, yeah, it's again, a mixture of some of the characters who indeed find the West a place for escape. And there is a lot more latitude in those early years. But those are. That window where the west is wild is much shorter than maybe you'd expect it to be.

[Eleanor Evans]

So perhaps less OK Corral and more just shooting into the sky to scare off a coyote or something.

[Karen Jones]

Yeah. Yeah, great.

[Eleanor Evans]

Well, we've also got a listener question here that I really liked from Roberta Alessandra on Facebook, who's asked just that, really, that frontier life is often presented with that romanticised mythology that we've talking about and is always woven into this topic. And they've asked what life was really like and if there's any other myths that you want to put to bed at this stage of the conversation.

[Karen Jones]

I think what's really important for me in studying the west is to see the power of myth, to see that although myth may be depicting inaccuracies, its potency is such that it does have a life of its own. So when I. When, you know, when I'm talking to people about this this world, it's, yeah, that the, the, the power of the imagined west has a tangibility. So I, I'm really careful to not want to, in a way to discredit the myth as to take away its saliency because it holds so much sway even, even today. But having said that, I think to present the west as a story where there's a much more diversity of voices is, is an important one, you know, so the gun toting John Wayne character has been the spokesman for the west for a long time and, and still in many ways is. But I think it's, it's really important to see the west as a, as a variegated terrain where there are still many sort of neglected voices. I think when, when we unravel history, to see the messiness, that for me is where its fascination is. So you, you have to look at the, the myth and why it was so alluring to see a much more panoramic and multi, multicolor complex landscape, that of, of people, of landscape, of other animals, you know, that I think still makes the frontier hugely fascinating as a topic, even if you are dispelling those traditional myths.

[Eleanor Evans]

I love that. Unraveling history to see the messiness. What a wonderful phrase. And my final question to you, Karen, is just that we can't escape John Wayne and that sort of image of the west that we've been given in popular culture for so long. And I wonder if you can give us a few final examples of frontier life in popular culture that our listeners can maybe turn to for different looks or different stories or any other sources you'd like to point to as well.

[Karen Jones]

There are so many, as I mentioned earlier, the west was constructing itself as it was being settled. So you could go back and look at 19th century dime novels for a slice of the pulp fiction of the 1860s and how the urban masses would digest tales of, of outlaws and all sorts of nefarious plots. These stories, when you look at them now, when you read them now, they're incredibly complicated and it's all about mistaken personalities and long lost this. And they're actually really hard to follow. So if you want a more relaxing digest, I think probably moving forward into the Hollywood story is a better option. I really like the Deadwood series that David Milch did for US TV in 2004-2006. It's brutal, it's profane, it's a grubby, unpleasant west in many ways. So I think that represents corruption, the grabbing of resources, but it also shows the way in which mythologies are invented and power base is built. So I. Yeah, I enjoyed that a lot. I also enjoy the Quick and the Dead, which features Sharon Stone as a gunfighter. So that's from 1995. It's got a really young Leonardo DiCaprio there as a. As a gunslinger, as the kid. And again, this plays with the legends and messes with them with Stone's character. I guess it's a great pastiche of the west that carries forward and messes with some of the things we expect to see. There's a slightly more recent Western called Meek's Cut Off 2010, which is about a group of travelers on the Oregon Trail who are led by a guide who's completely useless and takes them the wrong way. And the women have to take over and figure out what to do. And what's most notable for me from this movie is the sound of one of the wagon wheels, which, throughout the whole movie kind of squeaks and creaks. It gets quite annoying after a while. But that monotony is probably a good evocation of what it felt like for people on the trail. One of the curious artifacts that again, I use in my teaching is 1980s video game called the Oregon Trail, which I can remember playing at school when I did gcse The American West. And it invites you to take a troop across the west and invariably bad things happen. Usually everybody dies of dysentery. The graphics are really awful, the music is terrible, but you can find it on the Internet and play it. And it's a useful reminder of how technology has changed quite a lot.

[Eleanor Evans]

I mean, these are brilliant examples. Thank you so much, Karen, for giving us just a little bit of a slice of insight into the west and the ideas being thought about in this history today as well. Is there anything else you'd like to leave us with before we wrap up?

[Karen Jones]

Just. Just to encourage people to switch on their inner historian when they're looking at the next Western movie and. And see how that. I think it enhances the viewing experience by doing that.

That was Karen Jones speaking to Eleanor Evans. Karen is professor of Environmental and Cultural History at the University of Kentucky, Kent. And her books include Epiphany in the Wilderness, Hunting Nature and performance in the 19th century American west, and Calamity, the Many Lives of Calamity Jane. In fact, Karen joined us to chart the life of Calamity Jane, and you can find that on this podcast feed by Searching for Calamity Jane. Life of the Week.

[Malk Representative]

If you can't pronounce it, why drink it? Other plant based milks are loaded with gums, oils and mystery ingredients. Malk keeps it simple with simple ingredients you can count on one hand. No gums, oils, fillers or anything else you can't pronounce. Visit Malcorganics.com to find Malk near you. Taste the difference today.