What are some traditions of the American west?

Answer 1

The American West is a vast region. Compared to the rest of the US, it is sparsely populated. In an area this large, and with a high percentage of its people living in rural areas, a great many traditions would develop and thrive. The truth is, these traditions vary considerably from one part of the West to another. For example, traditions in Montana and Idaho will vary considerably from traditions in New Mexico or Arizona. Many traditions developed at the local level, and may be unique to a particular community or county.

If you want to talk about traditions that encompass the entire West, you hit yet another problem: how do you define "the West"? Someone on the east coast may consider anything beyond the Appalachians to be the West. Others may consider anything beyond the Mississippi River to be the West. Here is my take on it: the areas of the US that are home to true Western culture are what comprise "the West". Look at a map of the US. The 100th Meridian (the eastern boundary of the Texas Panhandle) is an excellent eastern boundary of "the West." But the West has a western boundary too; it doesn't extend all the way to the Pacific. I assure you, there is nothing "Western" about the Pacific Coast! The West can be said to extend westward from the 100th Meridian to approximately the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada. So the West includes eastern portions of Washington, Oregon, and California, but definitely not the coastal areas. The local cultures of this vast region can all be said to be "Western," and their traditions are what make up the traditions of the West.

Now, there may be some things that these areas have in common. For one thing, they all speak varieties of Western American English. This dialect varies considerably from region to region, yet always having certain commonalities that make coherent dialect. For another thing, the West tends to be very conservative, though perhaps not quite as conservative as the South. Westerners tend to also be more libertarian than other parts of the country. These tendencies toward conservative and libertarian principles define the region as a whole, though they don't necessarily apply to each individual Westerner or community. There is certainly a variety of thought in the West. One thing that all areas of the West have in common is a tradition passed down from the Old West of "Cowboy" culture. The speech, mannerisms, ethics, architecture, and even the clothing styles of the Old West Cowboy have strongly influenced (and help define) today's Western culture. Westerners tend to like outdoor activities and being in nature. Hunting, fishing, shooting, hiking, skiing, camping, and other such activities are extremely popular in this region. The West abounds in mountains and deserts, which provide an abundant natural playground for these activities.

The West tends to be somewhat more religious than the US as a whole, but not so much as the South. The West, more than any other region, has a thriving Native American population, which has influenced the mainstream culture of the West. In some parts of the Southwest, especially New Mexico, West Texas, and southern parts of Arizona and California, there is a strong Hispanic population, which in many areas is a majority. This has had a considerable impact on the culture of the Southwest, and in many ways, it is what distinguishes the culture of the Southwest from the areas further north.

So to answer your question, traditions of the West are abundant and vary considerably from region to region. It is impossible to define them in a short space; that is a job for an author to write a very lengthy book!