10 Crazy Cool Facts That Tell the True Story of The Wild West

Cowboy was a derogatory term, bank robberies were rare, and much more

The story of the Wild West is legendary, mainly because Hollywood has made it legendary. But the true story differs greatly from the picture painted in popular culture.

Here are 10 facts that tell that true story.

Englishman William Faux was the first to popularise the name the Wild West

The first recorded use of the name the Wild West came in 1823. Englishman William Faux wrote a book called Memorable Days in America.

It recounted the story of his journey to Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky, and was designed as a study to inform on whether the American Midwest was a suitable place for British farmers to emigrate to.

He rather brutally concluded it was not. In fact, his narrative was so negative, it caused mass controversy at the time and led to a publishing war between US and British publishers.

The Brits told their farmers don’t go there; the Americans said Faux’s book sucked.

But anyway, as part of his dialogue denouncing the American Midwest as unfit for relocation, he wrote the following line while…