The Congress of Rough Riders of the World and International Manhood
"Wild Rivalries of Savage, Barbarous, and Civilized Races." Notice Buffalo Bill Cody as the leader of the men embodying the American cowboy. Image adapted from page 31 in the 1898 Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World Courier Program. Courtesy of the McCracken Research Library, Buffalo Bill Historical Center, MS6.6.A.2.1.
The introduction of the Congress of Rough Riders of the World just outside the grounds of the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, demonstrated Buffalo Bill's Wild West concern with the status of American manhood on a global stage. By introducing riders from all over the world, Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World heightened awareness of general masculine traits. Cody established the Congress of Rough Riders for illustration of the accomplishments and methods of the cattlemen worldwide in emulative comparison with the American cowboys. The first six delegates of the Congress included the American cowboy, American Indian, Cossack, Mexican Vaquero, Riffian Arab, and the South American (Argentine) Gaucho. Soldiers from the armies of the United States, England, France, Germany, and Russia were also included in the "Grand Review" of Rough Riders. In much of the writings about and in the performance of the show, the riders of the world showcased skills that connected the men in a brotherhood of manly international riders. However, each group of men held certain traits or talents that set them apart as oddities and often described as peculiar, strange, or savage. Other men did not match up to the practical skill and intelligence of the American cowboy or U.S. cavalry rider. With the annexation of lands and people following the Spanish American War, the Congress of Rough Riders added Filipinos, Costa Ricans, and Hawaiians, with promotional materials billing them as "strange people from our new possessions."
Documents
The Documents are encoded and editorialized to introduce, identify, highlight, and narrate ideas and themes. See the following types:
Press Coverage: Newspaper reporting helped build an image of international masculinity based on the traits of bravery, athleticism, and skill. The portrayal of these groups of men connects in many ways with ideas of race and imperialism and helped solidify the image of difference and inferiority in the riding styles of other nation's men.
Promotional Materials: Written programs and show-produced periodicals provide details of the Wild West's message taken to peoples around the world.
This map visualization demonstrates the change, growth, and spread of peoples and ideas connected with the Congress of Rough Riders and its members. Click on the image to go to the interactive map.
Interpretive Visualizations
TokenX: A powerful text-analysis software TokenX provides several visualizations of textual materials that highlight the written image of manliness in the American mind.
Timeline: The Timeline assists in visualizing the extent to which the press covered Buffalo Bill and the Wild West show, particularly surrounding the current and historic events the show portrayed. This digital tool highlights the popularization and spreading of ideas put forth by the Wild West.
Map: A Google Map that demonstrates spatial historical content and the spreading of Buffalo Bill's influence and the reach of his show's message. The Wild West brought in people from around the world, but also performed for audiences around the world, and in so doing took the American manly ideal to the masses globally.
Posters: Each year, Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World publicized the show and its various meanings through widely distributed posters. Millions of people viewed the posters and their imagery each season; such images contributed to the visual idea of manhood as presented to the public by the show.
