The Cowboys History Forgot

By many historians' estimates, one in four cowboys in the American West was Black. This is not a revisionist claim. It shows up in census records, ranch payrolls, and old photographs.

After the Civil War, thousands of formerly enslaved men headed west. On a cattle drive, a man was judged by whether he could rope, ride, and hold his nerve in a stampede. Skill paid better than prejudice.

So why does almost every cowboy you can picture look the same? That answer comes next.