Buffalo bill's wild west show cast

1870–1920 traveling vaudeville performances

"Wild West Show" redirects here. For the 2004 Big & Rich single, see Wild West Show (song).

For the 1928 film, see The Wild West Show (film).

Wild West shows were traveling vaudeville performances in the United States and Europe that existed around 1870–1920.

Buffalo bill wild west show sitting bull

The shows began as theatrical stage productions and evolved into open-air shows that depicted romanticized stereotypes of cowboys, Plains Indians, army scouts, outlaws, and wild animals that existed in the American West. While some of the storylines and characters were based on historical events, others were fictional or sensationalized.^[1]

American Indians in particular were portrayed in a sensationalistic and exploitative manner.^[1] The shows introduced many western performers and personalities, and romanticized the American frontier, to a wide audience.

History

[edit]

In the 19th century, following the American Civil War, stories and inexpensive dime novels depicting the American West and frontier life were becoming common.

buffalo bill cody wild west show

buffalo bill codys wild west shows quizlet