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African American West Myths

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People from many diverse backgrounds moved to the American West and participated in making of its history. Diaries, letters, and pictures tell us that Native American, Hispanic, black, Asian, and white—experienced life differently as they sought a better life. African Americans struggled to live on the frontier within the limitations of their own cultures, and limitations from outside forces. As a result, the history in the West includes the life experiences of different cultures. I am going to look at the history of a small African American town named Boyle, Oklahoma that was founded in 1903 by Creek Freedmen. Creek Freedmen are African American people who were former slaves of Muscogee Creek tribal members before 1866; they were (emancipated) …show more content…

African Americans if included in any medium are usually stereotyped as a servant, field hand, savage or outlaw. The well-dressed men in the picture were not glorified in the history of the West, but a myth that was not taught to me in high school. Boley and the other 32 all-black towns in Oklahoma were not a myth, like many other true stories about American West they are simply not acknowledged as the truth. However, I understand myths may be more interesting than true facts; but the truth about history also makes some people feel threatened because they have to face the reality of oppression people of color suffered at the hands of United States Government.
The true history of American West as I said before is based partially on myths, because the truth is very complicated and messy. Africans Americans who came West, expected a better life but experienced the same economic hardship, and racial violence that caused them to flee the South after the Civil war. The race problem in the West was not as the movies portray, with the Indians graciously handing over their land to white cowboys. The real truth is that many ethnicities and cultures came together wanting the same land, so of course, there were misunderstandings, fights, hostility and

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