Alex Seifert

I know it’s been a long time since I have posted here and I apologize for that. I have been ridiculously busy with homework for classes and work. As of now I am working on a research paper for one of my history classes. I am writing about the decline of the British monarchy in … more →

Life on the cattle trail in the late 19th century was often monotonous and boring, however, there were also times that were quite exciting and dangerous. Chief among the many dangers that the cowboys had to face on a regular basis were Indians, thieves and stampedes. Indian raids were certainly among the most prominent concerns … more →

While I’m finishing up some other articles for History Rhymes (such as the 5th installment of the “Who were the real cowboys?” series…finally), I found a good article about how the railroads took the wild out of the wild west. It was a very interesting read actually about the development of the railroads in the … more →

I apologize to everyone for such a long hiatus. I haven’t decided not to blog, I just literally have not had time. I am finally back in the States and have plenty of material to post here. Get ready for some more!

Happy 4th of July everyone! Again, I apologize for the lack of updates. I literally just have not had the time to keep up as much as I would really like to… I promise more posts are coming shortly….

I apologize for the delay in posting. I just haven’t had as much time as I would really like to. The next part of the Who were the real cowboys? series is well underway, I have just not had the time needed to finish it quite yet. Currently, I am working on an essay for … more →

In the late 19th century, the combination of high demand for beef in the eastern United States and the lack of railroads or really any kind of infrastructure in the west was the cause for a unique phenomenon west. The western ranchers in states such as Texas and Wyoming needed to find a way to … more →

The image of the American cowboy as we perceive it today was created in the 19th century, particularly in the postbellum period, or the period after the Civil War. After the war, many soldiers from both the Union and the Confederate sides had difficulties finding jobs in the east despite the South’s infrastructure laying in … more →

The history of the cowboy is a story that begins long ago. What we now think of as a uniquely American tradition is not solely American at all. Cowboy tradition first originated in mediæval Spain with the hacienda, or estate. The haciendas belonged to wealthy landowners and were generally, but not always, located on vast … more →

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I decided to open a forums page for general history-related discussion. They are now open! You can find them here: http://historyrhymes.alexseifert.com/forum