Shortly after the Civil War, settlers began westward settlement to new lands and new opportunities, and with it, cowboys began to appear in America’s heartland and what would become known as the wild west. They were largely ranchers and ranch hands, raising cattle, horses and other animals. Cowboys herded the livestock across the plains to feed a growing American population.
It was a wild and sometimes lawless time. In the absence of the local rule of law, cowboys developed their own code to live by — known as a cowboy “code of conduct” or a “code of ethics” — the codes were simple and logical rules of behavior. Fast forward 150 years to the early 21st century, and in recognition of the enduring efforts of the cowboy, a group of individuals sought to find a way to recognize this group of American icons.
Early History of the Day of the Cowboy day
In 2004, a campaign was founded to preserve, protect and promote the cowboy and the Western heritage of the U.S. Early in November of that year, Bethany Braley began working with the editor of American Cowboy magazine to make a “Vote for a Cowboy Day” project happen. At that time, with the guidance of a small group of friends and colleagues in Washington D.C., the project was named the National Day of the Cowboy project and U.S. Senator Craig Thomas of Wyoming was enlisted as the sponsor for…
