Our Community: The Black Cowboys of Texas
Discover > Truly Texan > Our Community: The Black Cowboys of Texas
TexasRealFood discusses the history of African American cowboys in Texas as part of their focus on Black History Month. Texas is home to numerous African American farmers, ranchers, and artisanal food producers. Please continue to support and strengthen this community by putting your dollar where it matters the most. Hereâs the link to TexasRealFoodâs ever-expanding directory of BIPOC-owned businesses for your perusal. If you are a BIPOC producer and would like to be listed in our directory, please reach out here!
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Humble Beginnings
In 1521, a Spanish ship arrived at what is Mexico today. In the cargo was a mini herd of cattle â possibly five to six heifers and a bull. The cattle shipper could not have known that these animals would silhouette the story of North America and, ultimately, lead to the birth of the cowboy.
Hundreds of years later, Mexico ultimately gained independence from Spain, with Texas not long later winning liberation from Mexico. During this chaotic period, the Mexican cattle got loose, and being of hearty Andalusian breed, rapidly multiplied. Their numbers increased to the point that a few decades after the Civil War, there were millions of untamed cattle wandering the Texas countryside.
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During the first half of the 19th century, many white Americans pursuing land property at a bargain (and sometimes running from debt collectors!) began to escape to Texasâ Spanish (and later, Mexican) territory. Although the Mexican government did not support slavery, Americans brought enslaved people along with them as they made settlements in the frontier and cultivated cotton farms and livestock ranches. By 1825, slaves in Texas accounted for almost 25% of the settler population. And by 1860, more than a decade after Texas had became part of the Union, their population had increased to over 30%, with that yearâs census registering 182,566 slaves residing in the Lone Star State.
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After the Civil War
As a major player, Texas joined the Confederacy in 1861 and was soon performing its role in the Civil War. As a result, many white Texans traveled to the East to fight alongside armies there.
While at war, Texan ranchers depended on their slaves to manage their property and livestock. These slaves were given the substantial responsibility of cattle tending, allowing them to develop essential cowboy-related skills. These skills would later turn out to be of great value in post-war Texas.
However, with a lack of effective containment and very few cattle masters, the enormous herds ran wild. Ranchers returning from the East realized that much of their cattle were either lost or out of control. With the Emancipation Proclamation passed, they were no longer able to depend on the free labor of the newly skilled slave cowhands. Instead, they now had to pay the recently-freed African Americans for their cow handling services.
âRight after the Civil War, a job as a cowboy was one of the few that were open to men of color who did not want to serve as elevator operators or delivery boys,â says William Loren Katz, a scholar of African American history and the writer of The Black West.
These cowboys, along with others across the state of Texas, played a crucial role in society ââ one that has been excluded from most history books for too long. Learning, exploring, sharing and telling their stories is extremely important if we donât want to erase a substantial piece of both Texas and African American history.
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Where Can We Read More About the Black Cowboys of Texas?
Black Cowboys of Texas by Sara Massey
Black Cowboys of Texas is the culmination of the insightful shared efforts of 25 qualified and amateur historians. The book offers biographical narratives about individual African American cowhands in Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Montana, and many other US states. The work is divided into three sections: The Early Cowboys, Cowboys of the Cattle Drives, and Twentieth-Century Cowboys. This collection retrieves and collects together histories pertaining to a more diverse cowboy past than has been recorded till now.
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Life and Adventures of Nat Love
One of the most prominent Black cowboys was the renowned Nat Love. His autobiography Life and Adventures of Nat Love, Better Known in the Cattle Country as âDeadwood Dick is particularly special, as it is rare to find documentation of a Black cowhandâs story in their own words. Love was born into slavery in 1854 and later pursued opportunities working for large cattle operations in Texas and Arizona.
Places to Visit in Texas to Learn More About Black Cowboys
The Dallas African American Museum
Due to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024, the Dallas African American Museum is one to visit. With widespread community support, it has become one of the most successful museums promoting and preserving African American history and culture in the United States.
Website: https://aamdallas.org/
Address: 3536 Grand Avenue, Dallas, TX
Email: info@aamdallas.org
Contact: +1 (214) 565-9026
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The Black Cowboy Museum
Founded by Larry Callies, The Black Cowboy Museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Americaâs Black cowhands. Learn all about famous African American cowboys such as Bass Reeves, Nat Love, and Bill Pickett, who truly influenced the history of the West.
Website: https://www.blackcowboymuseum.com/
Address: 1104 3rd St, Rosenberg, TX 77471, USA
Email: blackcowboymuseum@gmail.com
Contact: (281) 787-3308
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Please continue to support and strengthen this community by putting your dollar where it matters the most. Here is the link to TexasRealFoodâs ever-expanding BIPOC owned businesses directory for your perusal. If you are a BIPOC producer and would like to get listed in our directory, please reach out here!
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