The Wild West Tours Europe

Guest: Frank Christianson, PhD, Associate Dean, College of Humanities, BYU, Senior Editor of the Papers of William F. Cody Project based at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West When President Trump rallies crowds with his promise to “Make America Great Again,” he’s harking back to a time in the last century when America first came into its own on the world stage as an undisputed political, military and cultural power. The 20th century has been called “The American Century” for those reasons.  A showman in a leather fringe coat and jaunty cowboy hat helped pave the way for America’s cultural dominance. In the late 1800s, Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West show toured the world shaping the story of America we still tell today – hard working and destined for greatness.  A forthcoming book called “The Popular Frontier” traces the influence of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. It’s edited by Frank Christianson, an Associate Dean of the College of Humanities here at BYU. He is also the senior editor of the Papers of William F. Cody Project based at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.