Wild West shows

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Wild West shows were traveling vaudeville performances in the United States and Europe that existed around 1870–1920. The shows began as theatrical stage productions and evolved into open-air shows that depicted romanticized stereotypes of cowboys, Plains Indians, army scouts, outlaws, and wild animals that existed in the American West. While some of the storylines and characters were based on historical events, others were fictional or sensationalized.^[1]

American Indians in particular were portrayed in a sensationalistic and exploitative manner.^[1] The shows introduced many western performers and personalities, and romanticized the American frontier, to a wide audience.