![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6634f1e831c5f.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_64ad7d777499f.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6279340423368.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627934048af55.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_64ad81b6873dd.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_62793407af34c.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627934122afef.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_64ad81b7e386f.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627933facf690.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627933c909901.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627933d02aa7c.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627933ba321c1.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627933b279e7e.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627933b3498f6.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627933a979701.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627933c8570aa.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627933d04ee8a.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_64ad7d773acfa.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627933af31a95.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6279338d6049d.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6279339d72e08.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627933938b015.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627933834690c.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_64ae63e090faf.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_62793389003da.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_64ad7d78353f5.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_64ad7d7d0a576.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6279339e1b200.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_62793354058bd.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_6279338489b91.jpg)
![How wild was the Wild West, really?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_627933954526e.jpg)
See Also
See Again
© Getty Images
0 / 31 Fotos
You might not even make it to the West
- That’s pretty wild, right? But it was indeed likely that you would die even before you'd reach your final destination.
© Getty Images
1 / 31 Fotos
Oregon Trail
- The Oregon Trail was one of the main routes to the West. It is estimated that, between the 1840s and 1860s, around 300,000 to 400,000 people headed West on the trail.
© Getty Images
2 / 31 Fotos
Many died along the way
- Of these, it is estimated that one in 10 people died en route to the promised land.
© Getty Images
3 / 31 Fotos
How did they die?
- Disease, accidents, gunshot wounds, rattlesnake bites, and bison stampedes were among the culprits.
© Getty Images
4 / 31 Fotos
Disease
- Disease was rampant in the Wild West, and indeed it killed more than bullets. One of the main killers at the time was cholera.
© Shutterstock
5 / 31 Fotos
Disease
- But there was more—a lot more! Pneumonia, dysentery, measles, and smallpox were also responsible for many deaths.
© Getty Images
6 / 31 Fotos
Disease
- European diseases such as smallpox were brought to the Americas and are believed to have killed around 90% of native peoples in North and South America.
© Getty Images
7 / 31 Fotos
The cure was often worse than the disease
- Doctors back then would rely on a few basic principles and made things up as they went. Sadly, they also ignored a lot of potentially valuable medicinal knowledge from the local tribes.
© Getty Images
8 / 31 Fotos
The cure was often worse than the disease
- If you were sick and really wanted to be seen by a doctor, you would expect the bizarre medical 'treatments' available at the time, such as bloodletting.
© Getty Images
9 / 31 Fotos
The cure was often worse than the disease
- Of course, when everything else failed, the only alternative was to self-medicate with alcohol or opium. Or both.
© Shutterstock
10 / 31 Fotos
Homicide rates were through the roof
- Between 1876 and 1885, Dodge City, Kansas, residents' had a one in 61 chance of dying a violent death. The homicide rate was around 165 per 100,000.
© Getty Images
11 / 31 Fotos
Homicide rates were through the roof
- While this might not seem like a lot, for sake of comparison, in 2020 the homicide rate was about 7.8 per 100,000 for the country. So, yes, there was a much higher chance of being murdered in the Wild West comparing to now.
© Getty Images
12 / 31 Fotos
Your chances of survival were slim if you were a Native American
- The arrival of Europeans to the Americas had disastrous consequences for the local peoples. It’s estimated that the population was reduced from about somewhere between five and 15 million people in the beginning, to less than 238,000 by the end of the 19th century.
© Getty Images
13 / 31 Fotos
Your chances of survival were slim if you were a Native American
- Disease and wars killed millions of Native Americans, so if you happened to be one in the Wild West, you’d likely be killed or forcibly relocated.
© Getty Images
14 / 31 Fotos
You wouldn’t be better off if you were from Chinese descent
- It is estimated that about 20,000 Chinese people immigrated to California in 1852 during the Gold Rush. But they had to pay in order to work.
© Getty Images
15 / 31 Fotos
You wouldn’t be better off if you were from Chinese descent
- The Foreign Miners License Law required Chinese miners to pay US$20 a month. That’s around $675 in today’s money!
© Getty Images
16 / 31 Fotos
You wouldn’t be better off if you were from Chinese descent
- Despite helping build the country, just like Native Americans and those of African descent, Chinese people were victims of abuse, racism, and xenophobia.
© Getty Images
17 / 31 Fotos
Your drink could kill you
- Having a cocktail in the Wild West was a risky move. You’d be better off ordering a beer or whiskey at the town's saloon. Why? Well, the cocktail could kill you!
© Getty Images
18 / 31 Fotos
Got poison?
- One drink in particular contained strychnine. This toxic substance, mixed with hard liquor, not only could make you hallucinate, but it could actually kill you.
© Getty Images
19 / 31 Fotos
Chemically-enhanced booze
- Some saloons got really creative and cut their booze with really gnarly ingredients, including gunpowder, turpentine, and ammonia.
© Getty Images
20 / 31 Fotos
Alcoholism could kill you
- You wouldn't need deadly cocktails to become addicted to alcohol. In fact, for many, it started with just sipping on their parents’ drinks. Years later they’d become heavy drinkers.
© Getty Images
21 / 31 Fotos
Alcoholism could kill you
- Whiskey in particular was abundant, and as such it became the drink of choice for many an alcoholic. It is estimated that in the 1830s, a heavy drinker would drink the equivalent of 3.5 bottles of whiskey a week.
© Getty Images
22 / 31 Fotos
Mining operations were extremely unsafe
- Mining in the Old West was extremely dangerous. The California Gold Rush of 1849 led thousands to try their luck, and, of course, there was no such thing as health and safety regulations back then!
© Getty Images
23 / 31 Fotos
You'd probably die while at work
- Mine explosions and collapses were common, as well as accidents such as falling down ladders and those resulting from exhaustion. And if that wasn’t enough, sanitation was also a major issue.
© Getty Images
24 / 31 Fotos
Sanitation
- Miners would live in closely-packed communities, mostly in precarious living conditions where disease would easily spread.
© Getty Images
25 / 31 Fotos
STDs where abundant
- It’s not known how many people died of complications caused by STDs, but it’s estimated that about half of the sex workers in the Old West did have some form of venereal disease. These would then be passed on to clients.
© Getty Images
26 / 31 Fotos
STDs where abundant
- Sex workers did use antiseptic solutions to try and prevent these, but they were made of strong chemicals such as mercury, carbolic acid, and boric acid. It goes without saying that constant douching with these would be really harmful.
© Shutterstock
27 / 31 Fotos
Cemetery records
- In 1998, excavations in the cemetery of the Old West town of Seven Rivers, outside of modern-day Carlsbad, New Mexico, revealed how some of the people there died.
© Getty Images
28 / 31 Fotos
Violent deaths
- In total, 52 bodies were excavated. Ten of them suffered violent deaths. One in particular was killed by a shotgun blast to the face by his father-in-law!
© Shutterstock
29 / 31 Fotos
Disease killed a lot of people, all the time
- The remaining people, including 14 children, died of things such as dysentery, measles, and scarlet fever. Even though most of these diseases would be treatable nowadays, they were fatal back then. Sources: (Grunge)
© Shutterstock
30 / 31 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 31 Fotos
You might not even make it to the West
- That’s pretty wild, right? But it was indeed likely that you would die even before you'd reach your final destination.
© Getty Images
1 / 31 Fotos
Oregon Trail
- The Oregon Trail was one of the main routes to the West. It is estimated that, between the 1840s and 1860s, around 300,000 to 400,000 people headed West on the trail.
© Getty Images
2 / 31 Fotos
Many died along the way
- Of these, it is estimated that one in 10 people died en route to the promised land.
© Getty Images
3 / 31 Fotos
How did they die?
- Disease, accidents, gunshot wounds, rattlesnake bites, and bison stampedes were among the culprits.
© Getty Images
4 / 31 Fotos
Disease
- Disease was rampant in the Wild West, and indeed it killed more than bullets. One of the main killers at the time was cholera.
© Shutterstock
5 / 31 Fotos
Disease
- But there was more—a lot more! Pneumonia, dysentery, measles, and smallpox were also responsible for many deaths.
© Getty Images
6 / 31 Fotos
Disease
- European diseases such as smallpox were brought to the Americas and are believed to have killed around 90% of native peoples in North and South America.
© Getty Images
7 / 31 Fotos
The cure was often worse than the disease
- Doctors back then would rely on a few basic principles and made things up as they went. Sadly, they also ignored a lot of potentially valuable medicinal knowledge from the local tribes.
© Getty Images
8 / 31 Fotos
The cure was often worse than the disease
- If you were sick and really wanted to be seen by a doctor, you would expect the bizarre medical 'treatments' available at the time, such as bloodletting.
© Getty Images
9 / 31 Fotos
The cure was often worse than the disease
- Of course, when everything else failed, the only alternative was to self-medicate with alcohol or opium. Or both.
© Shutterstock
10 / 31 Fotos
Homicide rates were through the roof
- Between 1876 and 1885, Dodge City, Kansas, residents' had a one in 61 chance of dying a violent death. The homicide rate was around 165 per 100,000.
© Getty Images
11 / 31 Fotos
Homicide rates were through the roof
- While this might not seem like a lot, for sake of comparison, in 2020 the homicide rate was about 7.8 per 100,000 for the country. So, yes, there was a much higher chance of being murdered in the Wild West comparing to now.
© Getty Images
12 / 31 Fotos
Your chances of survival were slim if you were a Native American
- The arrival of Europeans to the Americas had disastrous consequences for the local peoples. It’s estimated that the population was reduced from about somewhere between five and 15 million people in the beginning, to less than 238,000 by the end of the 19th century.
© Getty Images
13 / 31 Fotos
Your chances of survival were slim if you were a Native American
- Disease and wars killed millions of Native Americans, so if you happened to be one in the Wild West, you’d likely be killed or forcibly relocated.
© Getty Images
14 / 31 Fotos
You wouldn’t be better off if you were from Chinese descent
- It is estimated that about 20,000 Chinese people immigrated to California in 1852 during the Gold Rush. But they had to pay in order to work.
© Getty Images
15 / 31 Fotos
You wouldn’t be better off if you were from Chinese descent
- The Foreign Miners License Law required Chinese miners to pay US$20 a month. That’s around $675 in today’s money!
© Getty Images
16 / 31 Fotos
You wouldn’t be better off if you were from Chinese descent
- Despite helping build the country, just like Native Americans and those of African descent, Chinese people were victims of abuse, racism, and xenophobia.
© Getty Images
17 / 31 Fotos
Your drink could kill you
- Having a cocktail in the Wild West was a risky move. You’d be better off ordering a beer or whiskey at the town's saloon. Why? Well, the cocktail could kill you!
© Getty Images
18 / 31 Fotos
Got poison?
- One drink in particular contained strychnine. This toxic substance, mixed with hard liquor, not only could make you hallucinate, but it could actually kill you.
© Getty Images
19 / 31 Fotos
Chemically-enhanced booze
- Some saloons got really creative and cut their booze with really gnarly ingredients, including gunpowder, turpentine, and ammonia.
© Getty Images
20 / 31 Fotos
Alcoholism could kill you
- You wouldn't need deadly cocktails to become addicted to alcohol. In fact, for many, it started with just sipping on their parents’ drinks. Years later they’d become heavy drinkers.
© Getty Images
21 / 31 Fotos
Alcoholism could kill you
- Whiskey in particular was abundant, and as such it became the drink of choice for many an alcoholic. It is estimated that in the 1830s, a heavy drinker would drink the equivalent of 3.5 bottles of whiskey a week.
© Getty Images
22 / 31 Fotos
Mining operations were extremely unsafe
- Mining in the Old West was extremely dangerous. The California Gold Rush of 1849 led thousands to try their luck, and, of course, there was no such thing as health and safety regulations back then!
© Getty Images
23 / 31 Fotos
You'd probably die while at work
- Mine explosions and collapses were common, as well as accidents such as falling down ladders and those resulting from exhaustion. And if that wasn’t enough, sanitation was also a major issue.
© Getty Images
24 / 31 Fotos
Sanitation
- Miners would live in closely-packed communities, mostly in precarious living conditions where disease would easily spread.
© Getty Images
25 / 31 Fotos
STDs where abundant
- It’s not known how many people died of complications caused by STDs, but it’s estimated that about half of the sex workers in the Old West did have some form of venereal disease. These would then be passed on to clients.
© Getty Images
26 / 31 Fotos
STDs where abundant
- Sex workers did use antiseptic solutions to try and prevent these, but they were made of strong chemicals such as mercury, carbolic acid, and boric acid. It goes without saying that constant douching with these would be really harmful.
© Shutterstock
27 / 31 Fotos
Cemetery records
- In 1998, excavations in the cemetery of the Old West town of Seven Rivers, outside of modern-day Carlsbad, New Mexico, revealed how some of the people there died.
© Getty Images
28 / 31 Fotos
Violent deaths
- In total, 52 bodies were excavated. Ten of them suffered violent deaths. One in particular was killed by a shotgun blast to the face by his father-in-law!
© Shutterstock
29 / 31 Fotos
Disease killed a lot of people, all the time
- The remaining people, including 14 children, died of things such as dysentery, measles, and scarlet fever. Even though most of these diseases would be treatable nowadays, they were fatal back then. Sources: (Grunge)
© Shutterstock
30 / 31 Fotos
How wild was the Wild West, really?
Buckle up for the real story!
© Getty Images
We've all seen Western movies and numerous depictions of what the Old West was like, but it still begs the question: how wild was the Wild West, really? Well, it turns out it was pretty wild! So wild, in fact, that you’d probably struggle to survive...
Curious to find out more about this slice of American history? Then put on your cowboy hat and click through.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
![Pioneering ways AI is being used in the Olympics](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66a3ae28aa4d5.jpg)
![Unlocking your potential with a growth mindset](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669fd8da0bfd4.jpg)
![Outdated workplace trends to say goodbye to](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66a241cfb6915.jpg)
![The top 30 countries with the highest salaries](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66a1257b5af9b.jpg)
![30 animals with surprisingly human traits](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669fc7d59e9be.jpg)
![How to tell if someone is lying, based on their zodiac sign](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66a0bf8100fc4.jpg)
![How to keep kids safe during a heat wave](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669fda1b16851.jpg)
![The ultimate summer skin care routine](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66a0f721df09f.jpg)
![What is the 'brat girl summer' trend all about?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66a246addc9ca.jpg)
![Fascinating facts you probably didn't know about the Oval Office](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669f79198a06a.jpg)
![What are the ancient origins of your zodiac sign?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669e75af237bf.jpg)
![What toll does spaceflight take on astronauts?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669fa07d627e8.jpg)
![The comprehensive guide to managing and resolving credit card debt](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669fc270d28d6.jpg)
![The dangers of compartmentalizing emotions](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_6697c3f7ccd57.jpg)
![Decoding Gen Z slang: a guide to staying relevant](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66a0c15928804.jpg)
![The most polluted rivers in the world](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669a98796a53a.jpg)
![Fascinating dog facts that will change the way you look at your pup](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_664c9ce143f08.jpg)
![Countries with the highest disposable income, ranked](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669fad641cf77.jpg)
![How the first letter of your name defines your character](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66969fdb92841.jpg)
![How did dinosaurs grow so big?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_6697d2df7ee71.jpg)
![Mediterranean tragedy: the dangerous migration routes to Europe](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669e61a422da8.jpg)
![How to grow food in the city](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_663cb61851ff9.jpg)
![Everything you need to know about slow living](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_663b862fda57a.jpg)
![The French origins of the Swedish monarchy](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_663ba08c3840f.jpg)
![What rapid weight loss can do to the body](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_6641df4c4a90e.jpg)
![Your guide to starting a successful franchise](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_663a5255b413a.jpg)
![Seeking out the "four F's" of commonly foraged food](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66332bd2057c7.jpg)
![A parent's guide to raising emotionally intelligent children](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669e897d15e3e.jpg)
![How (and why) to create a personal development plan](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_664488d8abddc.jpg)
![Influential art movements of the 20th century](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_663a042eaf13d.jpg)
![The key raw materials needed to power the devices of the future](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_663ce0b155915.jpg)
![The ultimate guide to starting your own podcast](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_6638ff6812c6b.jpg)
![Roman mythology: important gods and goddesses everyone should know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66992c92c8129.jpg)
![How your zodiac sign influences your personality traits](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669a26da88b03.jpg)
![Galileo's astronomical contribution to science](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_6661b4e7ddfe2.jpg)
![Is workplace "mobbing" on the rise? How to cope if you're the target](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_665ee23c803f5.jpg)
MOST READ
- Last Hour
- Last Day
- Last Week
-
1
CELEBRITY Relationships
-
2
LIFESTYLE Nature
-
3
LIFESTYLE Curiosities
-
4
TRAVEL Staycation
Be a tourist in your own city and fall in love all over again
-
5
HEALTH Covid-19
-
6
HEALTH Cognitive function
-
7
LIFESTYLE Bizarre
You won't believe these bizarre prison rules and regulations
-
8
HEALTH Bad habits
-
9
TRAVEL Destinations
-
10
TRAVEL Architecture