When you think of a cowboy, you might picture the Lone Ranger or Clint Eastwood. But the reality of the American West tells a different story. Long before the cowboy was romanticized on screen, Black men were central to the labor that defined the role. In fact, historians estimate that roughly one in four cowboys was Black.

After emancipation, many formerly enslaved men became expert cattle herders and horsemen, helping shape the original cowboy.

To learn more about the early cowboys, check out this fascinating read.