Western Life In The US

The western culture and way of life started when the first settlers pushed inland and started their homesteads. During the mid 1800’s settlers from the eastern United States and Europe began pushing across the Mississippi River and moving towards the gold fields of California. Many stopped short and many crossed the mountains. At the same time in Texas and the southwestern area settlers were starting the cattle ranches.

This is how the melting pot of cultures in the west happened. Mexicans and Spanish from the south mingled with Native Americans. Then the American pioneers and Europeans came into the mix. From this and the vastness of the western area there have developed regional cultures. Of course the west is best known for its cowboys and in some areas they are still thriving and working on ranches everyday. The western United States also gives us a large amount of our oil production, and most of the agriculture especially wheat. The western climate is as varied as its cultures. From hot dry deserts to snow capped mountains the west has everything. It even has the pacific coast with the beaches and surfing of California to the Pacific fishing in Oregon and Washington. Let’s not forget that Hollywood is in the west with all the movie studios and stars.

For the eastern dudes the west is alive with Dude Ranches where for a short time you can live the life of a cowboy on working ranches, riding horses and punching cows like the cowboys of the old west.