Westerns are works of literature, motion pictures, and television shows that deal with the American West. These works typically explore the geography and history of the West and the lives of its inhabitants, especially pioneers, cowboys, and Indians.
Since the early 1800’s, the West has exerted a powerful attraction on the imagination of Americans as well as people throughout the world. They have been fascinated by the vast open spaces, the rugged mountain ranges, and the long and powerful rivers of the West.
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The stories written about the West often depict strong men—commonly frontiersmen and cowboys—as they challenge the wild land and violent weather. Many stories portray conflicts between pioneers moving West and the Indians settled in the region. For many people, the term Western suggests the novels of such authors as Zane Grey (Riders of the Purple Sage, 1912), A. B. Guthrie, Jr. (The Big Sky, 1947), Louis L’Amour (Hondo, 1953), and Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove, 1985).
Motion pictures have played an important role in establishing another common Western plot formula—the conflict between outlaws and the defenders of law and order. The first important motion picture, The Great Train Robbery (1903), was a Western. From the 1920’s through the 1940’s, hundreds of popular Western movies starred cowboy heroes, such as Gene Autry, Tom Mix, and Roy Rogers. More serious treatment of Western themes appeared in such movies as High Noon (1952) and Shane (1953). Director John Ford celebrated the grandeur of the Western landscape in Stagecoach (1939) and other films. Such stars as Gary Cooper and John Wayne defined the courageous hero of the West.
American television has contributed to the popularity of Westerns with several long-running series. They include “Gunsmoke” (1955-1975), “Maverick” (1957-1962), “Have Gun Will Travel” (1957-1963), “Wagon Train” (1957-1965), and “Bonanza” (1959-1973).
In the late 1900’s, some films portrayed the West in less heroic terms, as in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven (1992). The film Dances with Wolves (1990) brought new dignity to the treatment of the Indians in the history of the West.
