Our Country/Whose Country?: Early Westerns and Travel Films as Stories of Settler Colonialism

Settler colonialism provides a valuable lens to re-frame early westerns and travel pictures as re-enactments of the United States' repressed past. Westerns, in particular, propose a remarkable vision of white settlers' westward expansion that reveals a transformation in what American Progress came to mean. Initially, these films tracked settlers moving westward across the Appalachians, Great Plains, and Rockies, provoking resistance from Indigenous peoples and Mexicans. In the early 1910s, westerns became increasingly popular, with Native Americans ranging from devious savages to Noble Savages. Mexicans took positions across a similar spectrum.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 01 February 2024
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Settler colonialism provides a valuable lens through which to reinterpret early Westerns and travel pictures as re-enactments of the United States' repressed past. Westerns, in particular, offer a remarkable vision of white settlers' westward expansion, revealing a profound transformation in the concept of American Progress. Initially, these films followed the journey of settlers as they ventured westward across the Appalachian Mountains, the Great Plains, and the Rockies. Their encroachment on empty land sparked ongoing resistance from Indigenous peoples and Mexicans, resulting in extreme hardships for the pioneers. However, heroic male figures often emerged to confront and eliminate these foreign threats, often scattering or wiping out the aliens. Some films even indulged in nostalgic empathy for the Indian, portraying them as a vanishing American.

In the early 1910s, Westerns gained widespread popularity. In Indian pictures, Native Americans were portrayed in various ways, ranging from devious savages to victims of white violence, to Noble Savages who straddled cultures and mixed-descent peoples. Mexicans also took positions across a similar spectrum, occupying roles that spanned from treacherous villains to in-between figures caught between cultures. In cowboy and cowgirl films, ordinary whites became heroes and heroines, fighting against outlaws. Bandits like Broncho Billy underwent a transformation, becoming morally ambiguous characters who sometimes allied with the heroes.

A significant shift occurred in the mid to late 1910s, as Indian pictures and cowgirl films began to fade in popularity, while male figures, embodied by movie stars, dominated popular series. William S. Hart and Harry Carey, in particular, reinvented the "good badman" as a stoic but troubled figure of white masculinity. In cowboy films of comic romance, Tom Mix engaged in daring stunts and donned costumes that made him a fashionable icon. Douglas Fairbanks, in parodies, subverted the myth of American Progress, sporting a nonchalant grin of effortless self-confidence. Nearly all of their films assumed firmly settled white communities.

Settler colonialism sheds light on the complex and often contradictory narratives surrounding the expansion of the United States. It highlights the ongoing struggles and conflicts between Indigenous peoples, Mexicans, and white settlers, as well as the ways in which these groups have been represented and portrayed in popular culture. By re-examining early Westerns and travel pictures through the lens of settler colonialism, we can gain a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural significance of these films and their role in shaping American society and identity.

Weight: 376g
Dimension: 235 x 157 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197744055