Was the Wild West really a lawless land ruled by gunslingers and high-noon duels? This chapter explores everyday life on the American frontier during the nineteenth century. It visits mining towns, ranches, railroads, and trading routes to uncover the experiences of cowboys, women, immigrants, and African American, Mexican, and Indigenous communities. It also examines conflicts over land, the displacement of Native peoples, railroad expansion, and the myths surrounding sheriffs and outlaws. A journey through a changing, diverse, and violent region that was far more complex than the version later created by novels, traveling shows, television, and films.