Events

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City

General Public Information: 405-478-2250, www.nationalcowboymuseum.org

Media Contact: Shayla Simpson, Cowboy Museum, 405-478-6403

Info: Around the late 1800s, tradition held that women were expected to fill two roles, that of housewife and mother. This exhibit explores how some women bucked tradition. As women traveled west, many were resolute not to follow the path expected of them, while others were forced to look for nontraditional lives. Some joined the rush for gold, entered politics or looked to the arts, while others ventured into gambling and prostitution. Such women were either praised or scorned, but without their courage, women of today would face a different reality.