How “Wild” Was the Wild West? Debunking Five Myths about America’s Western Frontier

#1. There were fewer bank robberies in the Wild West than in present-day America

Smoke of a .45 by Charles Marion Russell depicts a violent conflict in America’s Western frontier. Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Few eras in history have inspired more movies, literature, fashion, television shows, toys, video games, and art across the world than the Wild West. Rugged cowboys, hostile Native…