Trailblazers and Gunslingers: Diversity in the Wild West

This is a reading assignment looking briefly at the lives of Annie Oakley, Charley Parkhurst, Nat Love, Bass Reeves, Jim Sam, and Pearl Hart. The narratives of people of African and Asian descent, transgender people, and women show the diversity of the American West at a time when the narrative is typically dominated by white men. This assignment is for students learning about American history, particularly the American frontier, otherwise known as the Wild West, women’s history, transgender studies and trans history, African American history, and Asian American history. Following the reading is a short series of reflection questions for students to better engage with their learning. These questions can be assigned as individual writing assignments or can be used to lead small group or full class discussions. This assignment can be used as a standalone assignment or tied into a larger unit.