Watch Buffalo Bill – The Inventor of the Wild West for free

How we imagine the Wild West today was largely invented by one man: William Frederick Cody, alias Buffalo Bill. His show "Buffalo Bill's Wild West", which toured the USA and Europe at the end of the 19th century, made Buffalo Bill a legend and an American national hero. It was a spectacular production with hundreds of performers on horseback, a real herd of bison and Native Americans performing in the arena. The show was a sensation, especially in Europe, where most viewers came into contact with Native Americans for the first time. In many places, Buffalo Bill sparked an enthusiasm for the Wild West that lasted for decades Around 1900, Buffalo Bill went from being an obscure bison hunter to a hero of novels and finally to one of the most famous people of his time. He was regarded as the embodiment of the American West. A brilliant entertainer and showman who pursued the American Dream throughout his life and even founded his own town, which still bears his name today. But the Western hero was also a ruthless self-promoter who exploited every opportunity to push his show business. His show told of the victory of the American nation over wild nature and indigenous enemies. The dark sides of the expansion into the West, such as the genocide of the Native Americans, were concealed in "Buffalo Bill's Wild West". Instead, Cody reinforced clichés of bloodthirsty Indians or noble savages. Stereotypes that still hold true today.