The Real Wild West

Young historians, guides, and descendants tell the untold stories of the Wild West.

Manifest Destiny. The U.S. provokes a war with Mexico, taking California and much of the Southwest. The United States is forged in wars and now stretches coast to coast.

The new West is a land of unprecedented opportunity. In less than a century, millions of prospectors rush to gold fields, boomtowns appear overnight, and a transcontinental railroad allows travelers to cross the country in only seven days. It is a century of ambition, greed, fame, and fortune.

The Wild West is born out of the desperation following the Civil War. Outlaws rampage and rob while lawmen become legends. It’s a time drenched in boozin’, gamblin’ and womanizing. However, the famed Wild West looked a lot different than what we see in movies.