Women in the American West: Blurred Reality
Diaries, dime novels, Hollywood westerns, and historical literature
have all contributed to the collective view we have of the West.
Where does history cross over into exaggeration? Many times it
is hard to tell. Traditional pioneer history, told in the spirit
of Frederick Jackson Turner, of a land populated only by men,
makes deciphering women's experiences in the West even more difficult.
The Madonna of the prairie, the outlaw sharpshooter, and the courageous
homesteader's wife are the stereotypical women found on the frontier.
These stereotypes, perpetuated over the years by various media,
are being broken up by modern historians who aim to tell the ordinary
pioneer woman's story.
The near absence of women in the general history of the frontier
has implied that only men went west. Some modern historians consider
this to be "his-story" and are attempting to reconstruct
the lives of women and children on the western frontier. "Until
the last third of the twentieth century–frontier history
was seen as his-story, a lively and entertaining account of the
deeds of the male explorers, soldiers, miners, farmers, cattle
barons, and politicians who made their way westward after European
settlers had claimed the eastern shores of this continent as their
own. Pioneering women, if mentioned at all, were dismissed as
bit players in the drama of the ever-expanding frontier"(Peavy
and Smith 8).
According to Sandra Myres, the problems with traditional historical
interpretations of the western experience stem from Frederick
Jackson Turner's The Significance of the Frontier in American
History. "Turner's frontiers were devoid of women. His pioneers
were explorers, fur trappers, miners, ranchers, farmers, all of
them male. Succeeding generations of historians continued to interpret
the westering movement in masculine terms" (1982, 8). Of
course, men did all these things, but women also inhabited the
frontier. Sometimes they lived with their husbands, fathers or
brothers, and sometimes without.
Historians focusing on the women's western experience have, according
to Margaret Walsh, attacked the "Euro-American male framework
in which women had been either invisible or were stereotyped as
long-suffering, dauntless or deviant" (1994).
So, who were these women who ventured into the unknown of the
western frontier? According to Bob Boze Bell, a western author
and illustrator, the early women who traveled westward were, like
the men, "rugged individualists who angled West to gain the
cherished privilege of being left alone to do what they pleased"
(1997,3).
These were not the only women going westward. Some were European
immigrants fresh from the docks on the Atlantic shores also headed
west in search of good fortune. There was also a mass Mormon migration
going on. In fact, more women and children affiliated with the
Mormons traveled west than with most groups of non-Mormons. Dr.
Stanley Kimball, who studies the Mormon westering experience,
explains that "this was because most Mormons did not go west
for furs, gold, adventure, or a new identity, but seeking religious
freedom; they usually traveled as families and often had single
women converts along (1991, 1).
In just a short time, the population of women inhabiting the towns
in the west grew rapidly. In 1849, only 10% of the people in the
west were women. By 1859, women made up nearly half of the western
population. (Wild, Wild Women 1993).
Why did these women chose to travel west? In a number of cases,
they were just accompanying their husbands and fathers, but some
women saw a chance for a new beginning in the unrestrained land
on the edge of civilization. Also, Bell states, "many women
who came West were trying to escape their past. Others saw too
many restrictions in Eastern society and wanted to create a future
in this new land of opportunity. All were hoping against hope,
and many had nothing to lose (1997,3).
Besides, in the beginning there were a male surplus in the west–single
men, soldiers and cowboys. Many women, gambling with the odds
in their favor, went west with hopes of marriage (Wild, Wild Women
1993). According to Sandra Myres in her book Westering Women and
the Frontier Experience 1800-1915, women on the frontier were
affected by several factors (some real, but most only perceived.)
First, the West was too violent, savage or barbarous for them
to overcome. Victimization, both by unrestrained white men and
savage Indians, also threatened these women. Finally, women who
worked alongside men were doomed to lose their femininity and
good looks (Myres 1982).
The ideal notion of women at the time was all ruffles and frills.
The women who broke the mold and moved west were courageous (Wild,
Wild Women 1993). To women who stayed in the East, western women
were often heroines who broke free from traditional women's roles
(Myres 1982). In the west, women found renewed confidence and
independence, and they were able, in this time of necessity, to
take on roles that were traditionally off-limits for women. In
the western environment of opportunity, women thrived. They had
been given a taste of freedom and importance when their families'
survival depended on it (Wild, Wild Women 1993).
Myres distinguishes between stereotypes and myths in regard to
the women of the West. "The drudge and the brave pioneer
mother were stereotypes, but not myths. That both existed is evident...so
did the soiled doves and the bad girls, but they were the exception.
Their stories stood out because they differed from the lives of
most pioneer women" (1982,11).
Linda Peavy and Ursula Smith identified two broad stereotypes
of women in the west: "She could be some variation of the
Madonna of the Prairie–the faithful helpmeet, the ‘gentle
tamer,' a lady of some refinement...Alternatively, she was the
antithesis of that stereotype–the backwoods belle, the soiled
dove, the female bandit, a woman of unsavory character" (1998,
8).
Mark Twain does not mention contact with many women in his book
Roughing It, a narration about his travels in the West. One early
encounter with a woman stands out though. In Chapter II, Twain
and his brother are riding in the stage on his journey to Virginia
City. They pick up a young woman who Twain referred to as "a
modern sphynx" until she opened her mouth and talked incessantly
for hours. Her virtual insanity and backwoods banter give the
reader insight into one version of the western stereotype of women.
Twain writes, "She would sit there in the gathering twilight
and fasten her steadfast eyes on a mosquito rooting into her arm,
and slowly she would raise her other hand till she had got his
range, and then she would launch a slap at him that would have
jolted a cow; and after than she would sit and contemplate the
corpse with tranquil satisfaction–for she never missed her
mosquito, she was a dead shot at short range" (1872, 26).
Modern historians attempt to rebuild the reality of the west,
while wading through tall tales and stereotypes, but they are
finding out that nostalgia runs deep in traditional histories.
According to Miriam Horn, "Until recently, Western history
has been by and about men. Now, as scholars reconstruct the lives
of frontier women and children, they dismantle nostalgic notions
of the prairie family" (1990, 58).
The reality of the western experience consisted of collecting
dung for fuel, riding or walking rough roads, and enduring harsh
weather. There was also a good chance that she would be pregnant–1
out of 5 pioneers were at some point in the journey west (Wild,
Wild Women 1993).
Wallace Stegner's portrayal of Powell's wife in Beyond the Hundredth
Meridian is right in line with the reality western women endured.
Emma Powell courageously accompanied her husband through some
of the roughest wilderness of the West. She was seen as "a
woman of hardihood and courage," and was expected to do her
share of the work along the way (1954, 41). When she finally let
the survey party go ahead without her, she was not seen as weak
or defeatist, just practical. Her presence on the journey west
through uncharted territory shows Powell's love and respect for
her as his wife and fellow pioneer.
Another reality of the west that women had to overcome was the
unpreparedness of their traditional dress. According to Dr. Kimball,
"Women were also greatly hampered and disadvantaged by their
clothing. Westering males dressed for the conditions: heavy boots,
strong trousers, shirts, jackets, coats and broad-brimmed hats
to protect the face and eyes. Tragically the same cannot be said
for westering females...Long skirts could get caught in many ways,
drawing females under animals and moving wagons" (1991, 1).
Margaret Walsh argues that women played an essential role in western
community life. They ran the households, raised the kids, established
schools and churches, and participated in various positions as
teachers, hotel owners, and even prostitutes (1994).
Three infamous women emerged from the western frontier legends:
Calamity Jane, Belle Starr, and Annie Oakley. Their stories were
told in national newspapers, dime novels and eventually even history
books. Some, like Calamity Jane, contributed to the legends surrounding
their lives, while others, like Annie Oakley frowned on the sometimes
negative attention she received.
Calamity Jane wrote an autobiography entitled Life and Adventures
of Calamity Jane, by Herself. This pamphlet was more of a demonstration
of the author's quest to blur fiction into reality. At times,
it verges on outright bragging. For example, on page two Calamity
Jane writes, "...during that time I had a great many adventures
with the Indians, for as a scout I had a great many dangerous
missions to perform and while I was in many close places always
succeeded in getting away safely for by this time I was considered
the most reckless and daring rider and one of the best shots in
the western country" (1896, 2).
According to Peavy and Smith, Calamity Jane exaggerated her already
unorthodox lifestyle in her autobiography. "A woman who did
all she could to sully her reputation in real life, Calamity Jane
laid claim to even more unladylike exploits in the memoir she
hoped would assure her place in history...She often drank in excess,
did all she could to affront ladies in high society, and earned
her living, in part, through prostitution...Whether or not such
tales were true, they contributed the Calamity Jane's reputation
as a woman who crossed beyond the bounds of propriety" (1998,
113).
The reality of Calamity Jane's life is difficult to uncover. She
was born Martha Canary in Princeton, Missouri, and was orphaned
at a young age and started hunting with the men. She tackled the
man's frontier like a man: drinking, shooting, gambling, riding
horses, scouting, tracking and guiding gold expeditions. Soon
she came to fame through dime novels. She admittedly felt it was
demeaning to become such an attraction. Throughout her life she
always helped others; she selflessly nursed the smallpox victims
(Wild, Wild Women 1993).
In fiction, Belle Starr was know as "The Bandit Queen,"
the leader of robbers, and the female Jesse James. In reality
Myra Belle Shirley never robbed, and until the outbreak of the
Civil War she was considered a proper young woman. When her brother
was shot in the back by a Union soldier, she sought revenge for
his death. Her notoriety in dime novel fiction followed her through
three husbands, two children and eventually her death by gunshot
to the face (Wild, Wild Women 1993).
Richard Arnott, a writer from Ohio who is trying to dispel the
myths surrounding the western experience, notes that "although
she was a companion to known thieves and felons and stole a horse
or two, Myra Maybelle Shirley was neither a belle nor the star
of any outlaw band...still she remains a legendary wild woman
of the Old West" (1997, 1). He also insists that Belle Starr's
life has been romanticized by many historical writers and by Hollywood
(Arnott 1997). "She has been credited with stealing from
the rich and giving to the poor, cleaning out crooked poker games
with her six-shooters, and galloping down city streets with pistols
blazing.(Arnott 1997, 1). Arnott argues that these powerful images
and appeal of a young lady leading a gang of outlaws often prohibit
the reality from ruining a good story (1997).
Perhaps one of the best known names in the wild west is Annie
Oakley. Her shooting ability and pleasant demeanor launched her
into the international spotlight as America's sweetheart. "Phoebe
Ann Moses, better known as Annie Oakley, rose to fame as a member
of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show" (Peavy and Smith 111).
Bob Bell points out that Annie Oakley was not really a Westerner,
being born and raised in Ohio. But, he argues, her stardom and
continuing connection to the West began with her participation
in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Later, "Little Sure Shot"
even toured Europe (Bell 1997).
In reality, Annie Oakley never lived west of the Mississippi yet
her life is entwined in the fabric of the western experience.
At first she hunted to feed her family after her father's death,
and then she killed game for local restaurants. Sharpshooting
became popular and she competed successfully against men from
across the country. After she was "discovered," she
joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. She felt the effects of
misinformation by the press even while she was living. A 1903
national newspaper article ran with the headline "Charged
with Having Stolen a Negro's Trousers to Get Money with which
to Purchase Cocaine–Annie Oakley's Plight." Outraged
by this, she sued the paper and won a libel suit. In her later
years, she taught other women how to shoot, which according to
some paved the way for cowgirls (Wild, Wild Women 1993).
From the opening of Annie Oakley the 1950s series: BULLS-EYE!
Annie Oakley hits the entertainment bulls-eye every week with
her hard ridin', straight shootin', and suspense.
Movie description of Along the Great Divide:
"...and a woman who, as Brennan's loyal daughter and Douglas'
newfound love, is torn between femme and fatale."
The U.S. Marshall played by Kirk Douglas and the accused murderer's
daughter meet. Her father says, "She's a good cook."
She tells the deputies when they say they're hungry, "Set
the table. I ain't servin' ya." She wears pants. When the
Marshall makes a comment about her attire she says, "Dresses
slow you down." Then she changes into a skirt. Within a half
an hour they kiss.
In one shot she kills a bad guy.
On the journey across the desert she wears her skirt and a necklace
and her hair is always in place.
After the trial, she breaks down and cries for her father.
The only other women in the movie were two Mexican women at the
trial.
She and the Marshall live happily ever after when he says her
father from the noose.
From the tape case of Bad Girls (1994):
"...the wild Western story of four fallen women on the run."
"A rough-riding, straight-shooting, fun-filled adventure
that writes a whole new chapter in the lore of the Western hero."
All orphans, widows, or otherwise independent women who became
prostitutes.
Together they killed the Colonel with one shot to the chest, escaped
a hanging on horseback, changed a broken wagon wheel, stopped
a runaway wagon, ate snake cooked over the fire, busted out of
prison, outsmarted and out-shot the male outlaws.
On finding out her claim was worthless after her husband's death,
Anita said, "I was worthless before I married him, and now
I'm worthless as his widow. The only time I was valuable was as
a whore."
The only other woman shown in the movie was the Chinese medicine
woman who saved one of the Bad Girls.
The outlaws told Lily, "You don't look much like a parlor
girl in those boots and pants."
Pam Houston's narrator in Cowboys are my Weakness exhibits the continuing struggle between reality and fiction in the West. She is looking for a stereotypical cowboy to whisk her off into the sunset. Instead she finds out that men in the West are just like men in the East. The western ones just seem to get outside more often. She also tries to hold herself up as a modern western woman, independent and free of traditional women's roles, descended from the mythic genes of Calamity Janes and Belle Starrs of days gone by. Yet when she finds herself in a tight situation, the narrator falters and reaches out to the nearest man for help. In the end, Houston promotes new stereotypes of women as needy and pathetic creatures, who delude themselves with independent dreams, but prefer a man's guidance and strength over self-reliance.
"The characters and incidents portrayed and the names
used herein are fictitious, and any similarity to the name, character,
or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional."
This was shown at the start of every Annie Oakley episode. Perhaps
it should be included in every seemingly historical account that
perpetuates the blurred reality of the Wild West.
History is being rewritten to reveal the pioneer experiences beyond
the male point of view. In a way, the blurred truth of harlots
and gunslinging women is just as important as the real stories
of the frontier. It helps us to understand why we continue to
view the West with awe and reverence even today.
References:
Along the Great Divide. 1951. Starring Kirk Douglas and Virginia Mayo. 88 min. Not rated.
Annie Oakley. 1950s. TV series starring Gail Davis. Distributed by Madacy Music Group, Inc. Four episodes, 110 min.
Arnott, R. 1997. "Bandit Queen: Belle Starr." The History Network Online. Available online http://www.thehistorynet.com/wildwest/articles/1997/08972_text.html
Bad Girls. 1994. Starring Madeleine Stowe, Andie MacDowell, Drew Barrymore and Mary Stuart Masterson. 104 min. Rated R.
Bell, B. 1997. "Wild Women of the West." The History Network Online. Available online http://www.thehistorynet.com/wildwest/articles/1997/04973_text.html
Hicks, E. 1966. Belle Starr and Her Pearl. Little Rock, Ark: Pioneer Press.
Horn, M. 1990. "How the West was Really Won." US News and World Report 108:56-64.
Houston, P. 1992. Cowboys are my Weakness. New York: Washington Square Press.
Jane, C. 1896. The Life and Adventures of Calamity Jane. Available online http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/modeng/modengC.browse.html
Kimball, S. 1991. "Women Emigrants." Heritage Gateway. Available online http://heritage.ven.org
Lackmann, R. 1997. Women of the Western Frontier in Fact, Fiction, and Film. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co.
Myres, S. 1982. Westering Women and the Frontier Experience, 1800-1915. Albuquerque: Univ. of New Mexico Press.
Peavy, L. and Ursula Smith. 1998. Pioneer Women: The Lives of Women on the Frontier. Norman: Univ. of Oklahoma Press.
Rascoe, B. 1941. Belle Starr. New York: Random House.
Stegner, W. 1954. Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Co.
Twain, M. 1872. Roughing It. Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Co.
Walsh, M. 1994. "New Horizons for the American West." History Today 44:44-51.
Wild, Wild Women. 1993. Produced in association with Arts & Entertainment Networks. 50 min. VHS, western documentary. Hosted by Kenny Rogers.
Rebecca L. Ash
Spring 1999
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