What are some of the differences between the real west and the mythic west?

Answer 1

The real west was dirty, rough, and dangerous. Many of the towns began as mining towns filled with men looking for silver or gold. Women had few rights and were abused, left alone by husband's, and they had to protect and care for children. Many had to work as prostitutes to earn a living. Children died of disease like measles, chickenpox, and accidents. Walk through any old western cemetery and every other headstone is a child under 5 years old. The sod houses many lived in were a nightmare. They were made out of dirt cut from the ground with dirt floors. Because they were just hard bricks of dirt they came with the things that live in dirt. A rainy day could bring in snakes falling out of the bricks and bugs. There was no running water so to have a hot bath took effort and laundry took about 2 days to do. Life was hard and not anything like the movies.