How wild was the Wild West, really? ~1~

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How wild was the Wild West, really?

Story by Stars Insider • Yesterday 2:30 am

 

How wild was the Wild West, really?

We've all seen Western movies and numerous depictions of what the Old West was like, but it still begs the question: how wild was the Wild West, really? Well, it turns out it was pretty wild! So wild, in fact, that you’d probably struggle to survive...

Curious to find out more about this slice of American history? Then put on your cowboy hat and click through.

 

You might not even make it to the West

That’s pretty wild, right? But it was indeed likely that you would die even before you'd reach your final destination.

 

Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail was one of the main routes to the West. It is estimated that, between the 1840s and 1860s, around 300,000 to 400,000 people headed West on the trail.

 

Many died along the way

Of these, it is estimated that one in 10 people died en route to the promised land.

 

How did they die?

Disease, accidents, gunshot wounds, rattlesnake bites, and bison stampedes were among the culprits.

 

 

 

Disease

Disease was rampant in the Wild West, and indeed it killed more than bullets. One of the main killers at the time was cholera.

 

 

Disease

But there was more—a lot more! Pneumonia, dysentery, measles, and smallpox were also responsible for many deaths.

 

Disease

European diseases such as smallpox were brought to the Americas and are believed to have killed around 90% of native peoples in North and South America.

 

 

 

The cure was often worse than the disease

Doctors back then would rely on a few basic principles and made things up as they went. Sadly, they also ignored a lot of potentially valuable medicinal knowledge from the local tribes.

 

The cure was often worse than the disease

If you were sick and really wanted to be seen by a doctor, you would expect the bizarre medical 'treatments' available at the time, such as bloodletting.

 

The cure was often worse than the disease

Of course, when everything else failed, the only alternative was to self-medicate with alcohol or opium. Or both.

 

 

 

Homicide rates were through the roof

Between 1876 and 1885, Dodge City, Kansas, residents' had a one in 61 chance of dying a violent death. The homicide rate was around 165 per 100,000.

 

 

Homicide rates were through the roof

While this might not seem like a lot, for sake of comparison, in 2020 the homicide rate was about 7.8 per 100,000 for the country. So, yes, there was a much higher chance of being murdered in the Wild West comparing to now.

 

 

Your chances of survival were slim if you were a Native American

The arrival of Europeans to the Americas had disastrous consequences for the local peoples. It’s estimated that the population was reduced from about somewhere between five and 15 million people in the beginning, to less than 238,000 by the end of the 19th century.

 

 

 

Your chances of survival were slim if you were a Native American

Disease and wars killed millions of Native Americans, so if you happened to be one in the Wild West, you’d likely be killed or forcibly relocated.

 

 

 

You wouldn’t be better off if you were from Chinese descent

It is estimated that about 20,000 Chinese immigrated to California in 1852 during the Gold Rush. But they had to pay in order to work.

 

 

You wouldn’t be better off if you were from Chinese descent

The Foreign Miners License Law required Chinese miners to pay US$20 a month. That’s around $675 in today’s money!

 

 

You wouldn’t be better off if you were from Chinese descent

Despite helping build the country, just like Native Americans and those of African descent, Chinese people were victims of abuse, racism, and xenophobia.