Old West Research Paper

Words: 943
Pages: 4

Jake Salvesen
Period 3
U.S. I Research Paper

San Francisco, Phoenix, and Las Vegas are all cities that would have no place in our modern society if not for the exploration and settlement of the Old West. The extravagant cities that attract millions worldwide are not the same as the barren deserts known to the frontiersman of the nineteenth and twentieth century. Not only was the West transfigured by settlers but many aspects of America had yet to be changed by the growth of Westward settlement. The exploration of the old west have left the a great impact on american settlements, industry, and culture.

American society began as a simple few colonies on the eastern coast of the North American continent, but over the course of a mere few centuries
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The American industry would undoubtedly be different had the old west not been settled by the ranchers and businessmen that would soon give way to a flourishing country of companies big and small alike. When the western lands were settled many were not inclined to stay in the place they had initially settled and proceeded west. The iconic Buffalo Bill is a prime example of a man born and raised in the west, despite his famous persona he was a businessman of sorts. With his wild wet touring show he drew in a fan base that transformed the idea of the scrappy towns that many people believed was the reality of the wild west into an image of bustling towns of the modern day picture of the “Wild West” (“New Perspectives on the West: William F. Cody.” PBS.org. Public Broadcasting Station, 2001. Web.). As for businesses that have lived on past the time of their founders Wells Fargo & Company, founded by Henry Wells and William Fargo on March 18 1852, is still a large corporation in asset management and banking. And still many other companies founded in the west, such as Walmart, Berkshire Hathaway, and Apple owe their existence to the frontiersman of the nineteenth …show more content…
After the aforementioned Buffalo Bill Touring wild west show had left a big impact not only on the industries soon to come in the west but also the culture of America in its entirety. His impression of the wild west influenced the culture of everything from film to the proposition of hunting season (Wilson, R.L. (1998). Buffalo Bill's Wild West: An American Legend. Random House. p. 316.). The fans appetite for stories of the frontier had been sharpened by the show men and legends of the “Wild West”. Given the opportunity the film industry took advantage of this fan base and began a spree of successful western productions that have way to a new genre of film. From the silent film era to the 1950s one out of every five movies was a western film (Schatz, Thomas. “Cowboy Business.” New York Times Magazine. The New York Times Company, 10 Nov. 2007. Web.). Although now as Prevalent today many high end western films are still being produced.such as “The Magnificent 7”. The settlements of the old west had turned from communities of sleazy farmers to a chief source of a brand new style of film and