Three ways in which the movies have misrepresented the 19th century American West?

There are so many ways in which Hollywood distorts history, since their primary aim is to make money, not represent historical fact. You asked for three:



"Forts" rarely had a wall, gateway and towers. Fort Davis (Texas), Fort Miles, Fort Wallace, Fort Hayes (Kansas), Fort Lincoln (Dakota), Fort Bowie (Arizona) are all typical examples, consisting merely of a cluster of buildings without any defensive walls or towers or gates. The buildings would be of local materials - logs, sods of earth, mud brick or adobe. Conditions, food, medical care and training were extremely poor; sickness and desertion rates were correspondingly very high.



Native Americans were much more savage than Hollywood depicts - at least towards anyone considered to be an enemy (including other native tribes). White women and girls were captured, brutally beaten, repeatedly raped and treated as slaves, being traded from one group to another and worked almost to death. Captured babies would be abandoned, shot or beaten to death, since another useless mouth to feed was considered unnecessary. Wounded and dead enemies would be mutilated in horrific ways to prevent the soul enjoying a good time in the afterlife.



Revolvers and pistols of all kinds were almost useless in a fight. A well-documented report by a Texas Ranger stated that he would rather face any white man armed with a pistol than a Comanche armed with bow and arrows - the bow could be discharged far more rapidly than a six-shooter and with considerably better aim. Bullet wounds were rarely fatal unless they hit a vital organ, while arrow wounds festered and the victim would die from blood poisoning (even after a minor wound, taking sometimes weeks to die).Three ways in which the movies have misrepresented the 19th century American West?A ). By portraying the natives as always in the wrong.



B ). By showing everyone always shooting into the air all the time, in that bullets was costing around 2 bucks back then and the average wage ( if you could find a job was about 3 bucks a month ).



C ). B showing the " good guy " always wins and justice would win in the end.



D ). Shootouts at high noon.



E ). Ok Corral gunfight, which was believed to actually be more like whole scale manslaughter by most historians.Three ways in which the movies have misrepresented the 19th century American West?
Here are my three:

1. the gunplay: the powder used would leave the air full of smoke after a few shots;

the pistols were long and heavy, making a cop-like two handed grip a better option;

the idea of a man outdrawing one who had already gone for his gun is a myth;

the guns needed to be heavily oiled for Western conditions, so if the winner wanted to get into a clinch with the heroine he'd have to wash his hands first, BUT

2. the women certainly didn't look like film stars. Take a look at some old photos. They look like what they were - tough as old boots.

3. the idea of outlaws terrorising a town. It never happened. Westerners had all chosen to be there and were self-reliant almost to a man. Northfileld and Coffeyville show what happened when the outlaws tried it.Three ways in which the movies have misrepresented the 19th century American West?Native American being savages

General George Custer being a hero

all cowboys were like John WayneThree ways in which the movies have misrepresented the 19th century American West?
Where do you want to start? Rifles and Pistols that were extremley uncommon and expensive, clothing and makeup that never existed at that time, language, music and writing that have no meaning to the 19th century average person, native Indians doing things that they would never do, incorrect Loco's and rolling stock, stereotypical ideals of Wetern towns which would never survive outside of a few small locations, incorrect dress of the Military arm and general incompetance of the officers.

I could go onThree ways in which the movies have misrepresented the 19th century American West?The GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K.CORRAL... only lasted a few SECONDS in real life ,,but in the films it gos on and on for at least half an hour LOL!

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Hiding behind thin wooden fences in gunfights .where as in reality the bullet wood go straight thru and kill you



most inhabitants never carried guns



In the 'old West' one out of every three cowboys were African, Indian, or Mexican.

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mr tire

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