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The Wild West
A legend always allive
Cow boys & Indians
The American Old West refers to the era in the history of western North America (usually the Western United States, though many times including the Canadian prairies and northern Mexico) of the late 19th century, between the American Civil War and the 1890 closing of the frontier. Terms Old West and Wild West refer to life beyond the settled frontier. While this terminology could logically place the setting as far back as the American colonial period, it is usually meant to signify, the late 19th century, the area from the "Frontier Strip" (i.e., the six U.S. states from North Dakota south to Texas) west to the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes the tier of states east of the Frontier strip (Minnesota to Louisiana) is also seen as the "Wild West" because of their stance as gateways.
As a setting for works of fiction, the period quickly became so popular as to define its own genre, the "Western." Although such works often put forth a highly romanticized conception of the era, they also promoted great interest in its true history.
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