The Land of Cowboys. The True Story of the Wild West

The era of cowboys lasted about a quarter of a century but managed to change America forever. The harsh winter of 1886/87 put an end to cattle ranching on open pastures: a significant loss took about a million head of cattle, after which financial difficulties finally undermined the industry. But by that time, it had already managed to unite the North and South through trade, overcoming the disagreements arising from the Civil War, and laid the foundations of the multicultural nation that the people of the United States are today. The cowboys of the Wild West, who achieved the status of almost mythical heroes, have faded into the past; however, the myth about them turned out to be surprisingly resilient: it not only gave rise to a new genre - the Western - in art and the entertainment industry but also influenced the national politics of the USA. Moreover, the "cattle fever" even more so than the gold rush, shaped the romantic notion of entrepreneurship - the quest for personal freedom and economic opportunities, which today still drives college graduates to Silicon Valley.