Dimensions
216 x 279 x 4mm
If you have ever wondered what a cowboy did, then you'll love this book. The cowboys of America were a unique breed of people. They lived in the country, and the golden age of cowboys was 1866. In the North, beef was scarce and expensive. By 1866, a steer worth $4 in Texas was worth $40 in the North. To survive, cowboys had to drive large herds of cattle, some of which could number in the thousands. The herds are steered by a dozen cowboys and even include wranglers and a boss. Historically, cowboys were often freed slaves from slavery. While most cowboys were white, many were not. They came from different countries, and some were Mexican or African-American. Most of the work consisted of roundups and moving cattle. It required at least eight to twelve cowboys to move 3,000 head of cattle. During this time, cattle drovers had to castrate and dehorn older animals. They were responsible for choosing which cattle would go to market. The cattle frontier was the home of more guns than any other place in history. Gunplay by cowboys has been exaggerated for pulp novel and movie fans, but in reality, most cowboys were not good shooters. Their sidearms were heavy, and they only used them when they needed to. Some of them even left their pistols in their chuckwagons. It's hard to imagine what life for cowboys was like back then!
