When one thinks of America, a particular symbol comes to mind: the American Cowboy.

Since the cowboy is such an iconic American figure, understanding the figure of the cowboy and the American West in historical as well as social context is a key factor to the development of a thesis about American identity. The goal of this wiki entry is to connect the image of the cowboy to American identity, in particular to how it has impacted American politics.

The first key to understanding the effects cowboy imagery has had on American society, means understanding how the figure of the cowboy has evolved overtime from the historical cowboy figure to the more romanticized, mythological cowboy figure.  Understanding this shift can help one to understand the path along which American political thought has expanded as well.   

Click on the links below for more information:

 

The Cowboy Way: A framework for the real American Cowboy     Art of the American Frontier: Frederic Remington     Myth and the American Cowboy     Cowboy Diplomacy: How the Myth of the American West Influences American Politics