How wild was the Wild West, really? (2024)

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You might not even make it to the West-

That’s pretty wild, right? But it was indeed likely that you would die even before you'd reach your final destination.

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Oregon Trail-

The Oregon Trail was one of the main routes to the West. It is estimated that, between the 1840s and 1860s, around 300,000 to 400,000 people headed West on the trail.

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Many died along the way-

Of these, it is estimated that one in 10 people died en route to the promised land.

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How did they die?-

Disease, accidents, gunshot wounds, rattlesnake bites, and bison stampedes were among the culprits.

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Disease-

Disease was rampant in the Wild West, and indeed it killed more than bullets. One of the main killers at the time was cholera.

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Disease-

But there was more—a lot more! Pneumonia, dysentery, measles, and smallpox were also responsible for many deaths.

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Disease-

European diseases such as smallpox were brought to the Americas and are believed to have killed around 90% of native peoples in North and South America.

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The cure was often worse than the disease-

Doctors back then would rely on a few basic principles and made things up as they went. Sadly, they also ignored a lot of potentially valuable medicinal knowledge from the local tribes.

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The cure was often worse than the disease-

If you were sick and really wanted to be seen by a doctor, you would expect the bizarre medical 'treatments' available at the time, such as bloodletting.

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The cure was often worse than the disease-

Of course, when everything else failed, the only alternative was to self-medicate with alcohol or opium. Or both.

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Homicide rates were through the roof-

Between 1876 and 1885, Dodge City, Kansas, residents' had a one in 61 chance of dying a violent death. The homicide rate was around 165 per 100,000.

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Homicide rates were through the roof-

While this might not seem like a lot, for sake of comparison, in 2020 the homicide rate was about 7.8 per 100,000 for the country. So, yes, there was a much higher chance of being murdered in the Wild West comparing to now.

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Your chances of survival were slim if you were a Native American-

The arrival of Europeans to the Americas had disastrous consequences for the local peoples. It’s estimated that the population was reduced from about somewhere between five and 15 million people in the beginning, to less than 238,000 by the end of the 19th century.

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Your chances of survival were slim if you were a Native American-

Disease and wars killed millions of Native Americans, so if you happened to be one in the Wild West, you’d likely be killed or forcibly relocated.

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You wouldn’t be better off if you were from Chinese descent-

It is estimated that about 20,000 Chinese people immigrated to California in 1852 during the Gold Rush. But they had to pay in order to work.

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You wouldn’t be better off if you were from Chinese descent-

The Foreign Miners License Law required Chinese miners to pay US$20 a month. That’s around $675 in today’s money!

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You wouldn’t be better off if you were from Chinese descent-

Despite helping build the country, just like Native Americans and those of African descent, Chinese people were victims of abuse, racism, and xenophobia.

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Your drink could kill you-

Having a co*cktail in the Wild West was a risky move. You’d be better off ordering a beer or whiskey at the town's saloon. Why? Well, the co*cktail could kill you!

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Got poison?-

One drink in particular contained strychnine. This toxic substance, mixed with hard liquor, not only could make you hallucinate, but it could actually kill you.

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Chemically-enhanced booze-

Some saloons got really creative and cut their booze with really gnarly ingredients, including gunpowder, turpentine, and ammonia.

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Alcoholism could kill you-

You wouldn't need deadly co*cktails to become addicted to alcohol. In fact, for many, it started with just sipping on their parents’ drinks. Years later they’d become heavy drinkers.

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Alcoholism could kill you-

Whiskey in particular was abundant, and as such it became the drink of choice for many an alcoholic. It is estimated that in the 1830s, a heavy drinker would drink the equivalent of 3.5 bottles of whiskey a week.

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Mining operations were extremely unsafe-

Mining in the Old West was extremely dangerous. The California Gold Rush of 1849 led thousands to try their luck, and, of course, there was no such thing as health and safety regulations back then!

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You'd probably die while at work-

Mine explosions and collapses were common, as well as accidents such as falling down ladders and those resulting from exhaustion. And if that wasn’t enough, sanitation was also a major issue.

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Sanitation-

Miners would live in closely-packed communities, mostly in precarious living conditions where disease would easily spread.

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STDs where abundant-

It’s not known how many people died of complications caused by STDs, but it’s estimated that about half of the sex workers in the Old West did have some form of venereal disease. These would then be passed on to clients.

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STDs where abundant-

Sex workers did use antiseptic solutions to try and prevent these, but they were made of strong chemicals such as mercury, carbolic acid, and boric acid. It goes without saying that constant douching with these would be really harmful.

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Cemetery records-

In 1998, excavations in the cemetery of the Old West town of Seven Rivers, outside of modern-day Carlsbad, New Mexico, revealed how some of the people there died.

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Violent deaths-

In total, 52 bodies were excavated. Ten of them suffered violent deaths. One in particular was killed by a shotgun blast to the face by his father-in-law!

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Disease killed a lot of people, all the time-

The remaining people, including 14 children, died of things such as dysentery, measles, and scarlet fever. Even though most of these diseases would be treatable nowadays, they were fatal back then.

Sources: (Grunge)

See also: Most wanted! Notorious outlaws of the Old West

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