Buffalo Bill, William Frederick Cody, in buckskin clothing, with rifle and handgun. Lithograph published by Monsch Brothers, 1870. William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody (February 26, 1846 - January 10, 1917) was an American soldier, bison hunter and showm
Buffalo Bill, William Frederick Cody, in buckskin clothing, with rifle and handgun. Lithograph published by Monsch Brothers, 1870. William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody (February 26, 1846 - January 10, 1917) was an American soldier, bison hunter and showman. He started working at the age of 11 after his father's death, and became a rider for the Pony Express at age 14. He wanted to enlist as a soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War, but was refused because of his young age. He began working with a United States freight caravan that delivered supplies to Fort Laramie in present-day Wyoming. In 1863 at age 17, he enlisted as a teamster with the rank of Private in Company H, 7th Kansas Cavalry and served until discharged in 1865. Later he served as a civilian scout to the US Army during the Indian Wars, receiving the Medal of Honor in 1872. One of the most colorful figures of the American Old West, Buffalo Bill became famous for the shows he organized with cowboy themes, which he toured in Great Britain and Europe as well as the United States. During a time when the Bureau of Indian Affairs was intent on promoting Native assimilation, he used his influence with government officials to secure Native American performers for his Wild West. He treated Native American employees as equals with white cowboys. They received good wages, transportation, housing, abundant food and gifts of clothing and cash from Buffalo Bill at the end of each season. As a frontier scout, Cody respected Native Americans and supported their rights. He called them "the former foe, present friend, the American", and once said, "Every Indian outbreak that I have ever known has resulted from broken promises and broken treaties by the government." He died of kidney failure on January 10, 1917, surrounded by family and friends. His grave lies atop Lookout Mountain in Golden, Colorado.
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Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: -, 1870, 19th, america, american, art, artwork, bill, bison, buckskin, buffalo, celebrity, century, circus, civilian, cody, cowboy, drawing, entertainer, express, famous, figure, frederick, frontier, handgun, historic, historical, history, hunter, illustration, important, indian, legend, legendary, lithograph, male, man, notable, people, performer, person, personalities, personality, pony, rider, rifle, scout, show, showman, soldier, states, united, usa, wars, west, wild, william
