The Conquest of America - The Story of the First Settlers and Cowboys

How did America's modern history begin? As a coincidence.

As everyone knows, Christopher Columbus, an Italian-born explorer, managed to convince the Portuguese royal court to support his journey in order to bring the treasures of India to the Old Continent from a new direction.

However, in 1492, after more than two months of sailing and aimless drifting, he encountered something unexpected: the American continent, specifically one of the islands in the Bahamas. True, he mistakenly believed it to be India, and it was only through the later realization by Amerigo Vespucci, who named the continent America, that it became clear that a new continent had been discovered. The name "America" itself only became widely used after the 16th century.

The colonial ambitions of European powers were satisfied through numerous expeditions. After long struggles, the Spanish and Portuguese gained influence in South America, while the English and French gained control of the northern part of the continent.

However, the arrival of the first settlers was delayed until 1620 when the first group of persecuted English Puritans embarked on the Mayflower towards the New World for religious reasons.

Did you know that in the United States, someone who wants to make a big statement about their ancestry claims that their ancestors arrived in America on the Mayflower, which is actually similar to how British convicts' ancestors were prison guards on their prison island: in Australia, everyone's ancestors were prison guards...

After that, more and more ships filled with people arrived in the promised land, until the overseas territories developed and strengthened to the point that, as a result of the 1776 American Revolutionary War, the United States of America was established, initially consisting of 13 states on the eastern and southeastern coasts.

At the beginning of the 1800s, a strong migration movement started towards the largely unknown western territories, where cheap and fertile lands enticed settlers and fortune seekers. The westward expansion was further facilitated by the Oregon Trail, a route that opened in 1839.

From 1848 onwards, nothing could stop this flood, as pure gold was found in a California river, marking the beginning of the Great American Gold Rush.

Meanwhile, by 1890, the number of buffaloes, hunted for their meat, hides, or simply for entertainment, decreased from 40 million to around 1,000 (!). Hunting of these animals was eventually prohibited even for Native Americans. Concurrently, cattle ranching became a significant industry on the Great Plains and in Texas, where vast herds of cattle were driven and sold in New Orleans or California. This period marked the birth of cowboys, most of whom were of British descent at the time.

After the outbreak of the Civil War in 1862-1865, following the issue of slavery, cowboys played a significant role. They herded cattle into the northern states facing a meat shortage while bandits and hostile Native Americans threatened the fate of their cargo. However, the rapid increase in the number of cattle eventually caused resistance among landowners, as the passing herds turned their land into barren territories. The conflicts between the cattle drivers and farmers became so severe that even the army had to be deployed to quell the violence. The ultimate solution, however, came with the spread of railroads towards the end of the 19th century when food supplies began to arrive in railcars.

The steam-powered agricultural machinery signaled the beginning of modern farming, where cowboys, once significant figures in American history, still played an important but diminished role in the economy. Their rugged, masculine traditions and practical attire have transitioned into the world of rodeos and western fashion, where they have found numerous fans and followers.