Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9786303063904 Format: Black & White ISBN: 630306390X Label: Turner Home Ent Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Turner Home Ent Release Date: 1998-09-01 Running Time: 60 Studio: Turner Home Ent
Customer Rating: Summary: A demonstration of the role of blacks in settling the frontier Comment: The development of the American west has been mythologized by decades of movies and television shows. Unfortunately, most of those myths are false, simply because black people are generally not included. White people referred to black men as boys, so the black man that worked in the house was the "house boy", the black man that worked in the stable was the "stable boy" and the black man that herded the cows was the "cow boy." Therefore, the origin of the term cowboy was a reference to the number of black men who worked in the cattle ranches.
The phrase "buffalo soldiers" was used by the plains Indians to refer to the U. S. Army soldiers who patrolled the plains and protected the white settlers from Indian attacks. Chicago was founded by a black adventurer named Jean Baptiste DuSable, who looked at a swampy area and looked forward to a time when a thriving metropolis would stand on that very site. Entire communities in the west were founded by blacks, as many recently freed slaves moved westward looking for economic and social opportunities. In the years before the American Civil War, many of the blacks in the west were runaway slaves. The frontier was an area where skills and merit were often more important that skin color.
This tape is an excellent lesson in an aspect of American history that few people really know. It should be shown in all high school history classes, there are facts in this tape that all Americans should know.
Customer Rating: Summary: A wonderful film -- fun and educational too. Comment: This Emmy Award winning film shows us the significant contribution that African Americans made in the development of the American frontier. From the earliest days of Lewis and Clark, runaway slaves, black cowboys and pioneer women of color risked the elements and the unknown in search of freedom in the West. The film brings us an important nugget of history with a sense of humor and a lighthearted touch that is thoroughly entertaining. Nominated for CableAce award.
