After the American Civil War, increasing numbers of native Americans headed west in search of a new life. For nearly 30 years, from the 1840s to the late 1860s, the largest migration in the country's history occurred. Many women adapted to the harsh conditions—they took on men's work, learned to shoot guns, and became skilled horsemen. During this same era, so-called cowgirls, or female cowgirls, emerged. 
"For about 20 years now, cowgirls have been living on Western ranches, who are just like real cowboys in every way." "They ride the same saddles, the same horses, perform the same duties, and, it must be said, perform them very effectively," wrote rancher and photojournalist Evelyn Cameron in the 1880s.
She was describing cowgirls, also known as cowgirls, who began appearing in Texas as early as the 19th century. After the Civil War and large-scale migration, life in the United States changed dramatically. Many headed west in search of new horizons.
The Homestead Act of 1860 stipulated that both men and women could claim 160 acres of land in the west, as long as they were 21 years old and unmarried. While most women in the east lived within the traditional rules of society, women in the west were forced to adapt to harsh conditions. 
Rodeo in California, 1934
Many began to take on housework previously reserved for men; they learned to shoot guns and ride horses. Their wardrobes also began to change—while most remained in skirts, some began wearing pants. Many became ranchers, raising cattle and horses. 
"A Real Lady of the West," Texas, 1906
Some women even disguised themselves as men to live like cowgirls. In 1867, Jo Monaghan set out west on her own from Buffalo, New York. She settled on a ranch in Idaho and continued to conceal her true identity, taking advantage of male privileges such as the right to vote. Only after her death in 1904 was it revealed that she had been disguising herself as a man. 
Fox Hastings, cowgirl and rider, at the first annual Los Angeles rodeo, circa 1920
Such women often faced suspicion and harsh judgment from others and neighbors. Such was the fate of Ellen Watson, a Wyoming rancher—neighbors accused her of cattle theft in 1889. Local cattlemen, envious of her large holdings, murdered her before she could defend herself in court. Ellen was later proven innocent. 
Lucille Mulhall on a ranch in Oklahoma, 1909
In the late 1880s, many ranchers (and ranchers) failed. In the North, overgrazing required extensive clearing of pastures, leading to insufficient winter feed for livestock and starvation, especially during the harsh winter of 1886-1887.
Hundreds of thousands of cattle died, leading to the collapse of the cattle industry. By the 1890s, barbed wire fencing became mandatory to prevent overgrazing. 
Sadie Austin in Cherry County, Nebraska, in 1900
Soon after, the era of open ranges and long cattle drives ended as large meatpacking plants were built near the rangelands. In the 1900s, a new breed of female cowgirl emerged – rodeo competitors.
At first, women participated in these competitions unofficially, but then the famous showman Buffalo Bill invited them to participate in his "Wild West Shows." Many women then began to compete professionally in rodeo, and they even managed to outperform the men at times. One such cowgirl was Fenny Sperry Steele. However, in 1925, women were banned from participating in rodeo. 
Kathleen Hudson, a member of the Junior Riding and Roping Club, in Oklahoma in 1948 
Cowgirls, 1920 
Kitty Canutt, World Champion Horseman on Winnemucca, 1919 
Calamity Jane at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, circa 1901 years 
Miss Mamie Frances and a horse named Napoleon 
Bonnie McCarroll of Pendleton, Oregon, September 1915 years 
Mildred Douglas riding a wild bull, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1917 
Sarah Crutcher, 12 years old Cowgirl 
Cowgirl from Pendleton, Oregon 
Nellie Brown, 1880s years 
Princeville Rodeo, Kauai, Hawaii 
Portrait of a Cowgirl from Portland, Oregon, September 1958 year 
Oregon, 1958
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