What is the connection between American Western cowboys and

The United States is a country of immigrants, so there are no aristocrats, so it is easy to have the tradition of "glorious work to get rich". This is the core part of American thought. The "American Dream" means that a person who starts from scratch can eventually make a fortune. Great Fortune

With the gradual spread of this idea, and the fact that immigrant countries are bound to be influenced by sailor ideas, the creation of wealth through labor and liberalism and individualism will be deepened, coupled with the establishment and gradual expansion of American farms in the west. , producing a large number of cowboys. These people wandered between farms, making a living by looking after other people's cattle and driving away robbers. They gradually accumulated wealth. Later, they bought their own farms, made a fortune, and then boasted about their youth. Whether true or false, the denim clothing at that time was not the denim clothing we are familiar with today. Today's denim clothing evolved from factory khaki work clothes

Americans from the 1950s to the early 1970s Known as the "Beat Generation", they had little money and did not go out to work, so they could not afford to sell beautiful and shiny clothes. Therefore, canvas and khaki were widely used. This very comfortable clothing just satisfied people's desire for "freedom". " request, and later added the "attached pocket" (a pocket used to hold lighters when marching) that was originally only available in the army, which could fit and hold a zippo lighter. (Note, zippo at that time was still a low-priced product.) This This is the origin of today's popular cowboy clothing, which means that cowboy clothing has nothing to do with cowboy culture, but has a great relationship with "happys"

Heroes on horseback - American cowboys

< p>Hollywood’s “Western movies” once swept the world and still have endless charm. In the film, people can often see: a tall, strong and strong cowboy, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, tights, narrow-leg trousers, long boots, and a musket hanging from his crotch, acting as a gangster When he fell to the ground, he rode away as if nothing had happened.

Romantic legendary stories, coupled with exciting shootouts and fights, seem to constitute the entire content of a cowboy's life. But the movie is not history after all. In American history, the life of cowboys is not to ride on horseback, chase bandits, and fight violence. They are the pioneers of the development of the American West. They are full of adventure and hard-working spirit, so they are called "horseback" by Americans. The hero of the world."

To talk about American cowboys, we must first talk about American cattle.

Americans are descendants of European immigrants, and American cattle are descendants of Europeans. Cattle in the United States were first brought to the United States by Columbus. At that time, he brought Spanish cattle to the West Indies and the coastal areas of Central and South America. In 1525, Spanish cattle began to be introduced to the North American continent from the West Indies. In 1611, the British transported a large number of cattle to James City in Virginia. Since then, British cattle have been widely multiplied in the North American continent, and many breeding sites have appeared there.

In 1540, the Spanish explorer Coronado crossed the Atlantic to North America in search of the legendary "Seven Treasures City of Seborra". He also brought 500 cattle, which were transported to northern Mexico and what is today Today's Arizona area.

Since then, the cattle have continued to multiply and gradually spread throughout northern Mexico and Jalisco. By the beginning of the 17th century, the number of cattle in Jalisco had reached more than 100,000.

In short, American cattle entered from the east and south and gradually spread throughout the country. At the beginning of the 18th century, cattle herds appeared in Ohio and Kentucky in the United States. Kentucky means meadow in Indian, also known as the Green Grass State. Illinois, adjacent to Kentucky, is called "Prairie Country" by Indians and is a paradise for cattle. By the mid-19th century, the technology of taming and raising cattle was already very sophisticated. After the Civil War, cattle pushed westward to the vast grasslands west of the Mississippi River, where they became the "Cattle Kingdom."

Spanish cattle imported from southern Mexico also multiplied in large numbers. In the late 19th century, Texas had 50 million cattle, making it the state with the most cattle in the United States. Beginning in the 1860s, Texans drove large numbers of cattle north to the railroad in Kansas and then resold them throughout the United States. At that time, there were also special "cattle roads" and "cattle towns". "Cattle roads" were the roads that the "cattle herds" took, and "cattle towns" were resting stations along the way.

Cows travel long distances across states and counties, and of course they need someone to lead and take care of them. Such people are the "heroes on horseback" - cowboys.

During the long and arduous journey, the cowboy must be able to endure hardships and stand hard work, and at the same time, he must be resourceful, brave, calm, and calm, and be able to cope with various unexpected accidents and dangers along the way. First of all, the semi-tame cattle must be controlled, especially the ferocious Spanish cattle. The cowboys follow the cattle and keep a close eye on them, and cannot relax for a moment. Along the way, you should also watch out for attacks by wolves and other wild beasts, as well as poisonous snakes and insects, and beware of cold arrows and javelins from Indians. Sometimes there may be a sudden thunderstorm, and the thunder and lightning will often cause the herds to panic and the cows to run wild. The cowboys must calmly circle them and form a circle to eliminate the panic.

Cowboys driving cattle over long distances is like a large-scale march. Cowboys escorting extra-large cattle herds must strictly divide their labor and perform their respective duties. There are often two most experienced people serving as general commanders and a correspondent, who is responsible for delivering messages before and after. There are also "roving cavalry" who patrol flexibly in the front, rear, left and right, "wing cavalry" marching on both sides of the team, and "tail cavalry" at the back who are responsible for calves, sick cows and lazy cows.

Cowboys, some were ranchers themselves, but most were employees of livestock merchants. They played an important role in the westward migration of residents of the eastern United States. The long-distance grazing of cowboys was pioneering in itself, as they directly opened the way for those who moved westward.

At the end of the 19th century, transportation in the United States became increasingly developed, and the status of cowboys gradually declined. They have switched to other jobs, and people see their vigorous figures less and less. But their enterprising and pioneering spirit has always inspired Americans.

People often associate cowboys with "jeans". In fact, the most prominent symbol of cowboys at that time was not "jeans", but their hats. Cowboys often wear Mexican-style wide-brimmed high-top hats. This kind of hat has many uses. It can not only protect against the scorching sun, wind and rain, but also can be used as a pillow when resting, and can even be used to scoop water to drink. Jeans first appeared in the American West in the early 1850s. In the 1840s, gold mines were discovered in California, and people rushed to pan for gold. A man named Levi Strauss also arrived in California. He was originally a cloth merchant and brought with him some canvas that could be used for tents and car hoods. Once, he found that the cotton trousers worn by gold diggers were very easy to break, so he had an idea and cut the thick canvas he brought into trousers for sale. The trousers were designed to be low-waisted, straight-legged, tight-hipped, and large. Popular with Taobao workers. Soon, more cowboys also liked this kind of clothing, and later generations called it "jeans."

Levi Strauss gave up the gold mining plan and specialized in selling trousers and made a fortune. Later, he changed the trousers material to indigo denim, applied for a patent in 1871, and established "Levi Strauss" "Victory Strauss Company" later developed into a multinational company with sales networks all over the world and annual profits of hundreds of millions of dollars.