Frontiers, Freedom, and Hypocrisy (1/3): Cowboys and Boers

History is more than a record of events—it’s a story we tell ourselves about who we are and where we come from. But what happens when those stories are shaped by myths, romanticized versions of the past, or selective memories? In this three-part series, we embark on a journey to uncover the layers of historical narratives, starting with the myths of cowboys and Boers.

From there, we’ll explore how societies romanticize history to serve cultural and political purposes, before diving into the lasting impact of migration, colonization, and race on identity and memory. Together, these threads form a complex tapestry of legacy, revealing how the stories we tell about the past shape our understanding of the present.

1/3 – Cowboys and Boers: Why are cowboys in the USA so revered for the way of life they strove for and now protect while the Afrikaner / Boer who are nothing more than the South African version of the cowboy, not?

This is a fascinating observation about cultural perceptions and the romanticism of specific ways of life.

Cowboys in the United States have been deeply mythologized through literature, film, and music as symbols of freedom, rugged individualism, and perseverance. Their lifestyle became part of a broader national identity tied to the “wild frontier,” manifest destiny, and the American Dream. This idealization often glosses over the complexities, conflicts, and injustices associated with westward expansion.

The Afrikaner/Boer, in contrast, represent a similarly tough, self-reliant lifestyle shaped by the challenges of frontier life in South Africa. However, their image has been less romanticized on the global stage. Instead, it has often been entangled with the political and social legacy of apartheid, overshadowing other aspects of their culture and history. As a result, their struggles and way of life are rarely viewed through the same nostalgic or heroic lens as the cowboy.

This difference likely stems from how media, history, and global narratives have been shaped. Cowboys have been widely exported as cultural icons, while the Afrikaner/Boer experience is more regionally specific and politically charged, making it harder to disentangle from South Africa’s complex history

Origins and Motivations

American Cowboys

• The cowboy lifestyle emerged in the 19th century, primarily in the American West. Cowboys were often cattle herders who worked on ranches, driving livestock across vast, undeveloped lands.
• Their role was a direct consequence of the westward expansion driven by the concept of Manifest Destiny—a belief that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent.
• This expansion led to significant conflicts with Native American tribes, whose lands were seized or forcibly taken through military campaigns, treaties, and settler encroachment.

Afrikaner/Boers

• The Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers (later joined by French Huguenots and German settlers), began migrating inland during the 18th and 19th centuries in what became known as the Great Trek (1830s-40s).
• This migration was partly motivated by dissatisfaction with British colonial rule in the Cape Colony and a desire for independence. Afrikaners sought to establish their own self-governed republics and to find fertile land for farming.
• Like the cowboys, their movement involved conflicts with indigenous populations and other migratory groups, and a deep reliance on a pastoral lifestyle.

Conflicts Over Land

Cowboys and the American West

• Cowboys were integral to the economic exploitation of the vast lands acquired through westward expansion. This expansion displaced Native American tribes from their ancestral territories.
• Battles such as the Indian Wars and events like the Trail of Tears are significant markers of the violent struggles over land.
• The cowboy’s role was often glorified in opposition to Native Americans, framing them as the defenders of civilization against perceived “savagery.”

Afrikaners/Boers and the South African Frontier

• The Boer movement inland faced resistance from indigenous African tribes, leading to clashes like the Battle of Blood River (1838) against the Zulu kingdom.
• Land disputes and the creation of Boer republics, such as the Transvaal and Orange Free State, caused further tension. These republics sought sovereignty but frequently depended on land expropriation.
• The Boer Wars (1880–81, 1899–1902) saw Afrikaners fighting against British imperial forces to defend their independence and claims to land, especially after the discovery of gold and diamonds.

Cultural Similarities

1. Pastoral Lifestyles:
   • Both groups were deeply tied to agricultural and pastoral economies. Cowboys managed cattle herds, while Afrikaners relied on subsistence and commercial farming.
   • Their self-sufficiency and dependence on the land cultivated a rugged, individualistic ethos.
2. Conflict as Identity Formation:
   • For cowboys, conflicts with Native Americans and challenges of taming the “wild frontier” became central to their mythology.
   • For Afrikaners, struggles against British colonialism and indigenous resistance shaped their identity as a resilient and independent people.
3. Role of Religion and Tradition:
   • Both groups infused their lifestyles with a strong sense of faith. Cowboys were often associated with Christian morality, while Afrikaners saw their struggles as divinely ordained, believing they were God’s chosen people in South Africa.
4. Cultural Mythology:
   • The cowboy became a symbol of freedom and individualism in the American narrative, while Afrikaners constructed the “Voortrekker” as a mythic figure representing their pioneering spirit.
   • These mythologies were used to justify land ownership and displacement of indigenous peoples.

Diverging Global Perceptions

Despite these similarities, their historical legacies diverge significantly:

• American Cowboys: The expansionist narrative of the U.S. overshadowed the darker aspects of displacement and violence, allowing the cowboy myth to flourish globally.
• Afrikaner/Boers: Their identity became tied to the apartheid system, leading to an international focus on racial oppression rather than the frontier lifestyle.

This difference underscores how broader historical narratives and political contexts shape global perceptions of comparable groups.

As we explore the stories of cowboys and Boers, it becomes clear that myths and romanticized portrayals often obscure the complexities of history. But these narratives don’t exist in isolation—they are part of a broader trend of how societies choose to remember and reframe their past. To delve deeper into this phenomenon, join us in the next part of our series, where we unpack the power of romanticizing history and its impact on cultural memory. Read Part 2: Romanticizing History.