Does the U.K. Have a Historical Period as Romanticized as the U.S. Wild West?
Does the U.K. Have a Historical Period as Romanticized as the U.S. Wild West?: A Complete Guide
It is hard to think of any other period in history which is more famous in popular culture than the American Wild West. Imagery of cowboys galloping on dusty lands, frontier towns, saloons, horse rides, cattle herding, and gunfights has been immortalized in movies, TV series, novels, and video games for decades. However, the UK also has its own rich history with many interesting figures, fights, ancient castles, adventurous explorers, intrigues of royalty, and journeys of explorers. There is no period in the history of Britain that can be considered exactly like the Wild West, but there are several eras which were romanticized in the past.
Why the American Wild West Became So Romanticized
The term 'Wild West' generally means the era of American western expansion that occurred throughout the 19th century, especially in the years that came after the American Civil War. It was an era in which settlers, farmers, indigenous people, prospectors, lawmen, outlaws, and entrepreneurs met each other in emerging regions. Gradually, newspapers, dime novels, photography, and especially Hollywood turned this complex period into a mythical culture.
The American frontier myth focuses on freedom, self-reliance, adventure, bravery, and creating a fresh start in unknown territories. Historical truth was much more complex. The expansion was connected with displacements and violence against the Native Americans, abuse of nature, poverty, and conflict. However, the frontier became deeply rooted in the American national identity.
There are also historical myths in Britain; they were created in a different way. There was no single era of the frontier in the British case, but their romantic period spans several centuries and regions.
Medieval Britain: Castles, Knights and Legendary Adventures
Probably the best parallel that can be drawn between the Wild West in America and its romanticism and Britain would be during the medieval times. There are plenty of aspects of Britain's medieval age that are reminiscent of a legendary adventure – from castles and knights, to battles, kings and queens, rival kingdoms, mysterious woods, old roadways and heroics.
Tales about King Arthur are quite significant as well. It is not clear whether there was any historical basis behind King Arthur, but he certainly is one of the most iconic characters in Britain's culture. Legends of Camelot, Excalibur, Merlin and Knights of the Round Table have been inspiring novels, movies, TV series and even tourist destinations.
The romanticism of medieval Britain is fairly clear to understand. A tour around the country will show plenty of ruins of castles, fortifications, old churches and historic towns.
Scotland's Highland Past and the Romance of the Clans
Scotland can be considered an ideal example of the British equivalent of a frontier. In particular, the Scottish Highlands have come to symbolize images of rugged terrain, proud clans, warriors, distant settlements, and defiance against the outside world.
The history of the Highlands has seen many events that include rivalry among the clans, struggles between the crowns of Scotland and England, Jacobite rebellions, and the ultimate transformation of the Highland way of life. Nevertheless, popular culture has frequently viewed this history through the prism of romanticism.
Contemporary tourists are attracted by mountain ranges, lochs, castles, historical battle sites, and distant valleys. Films and TV productions have helped to emphasize the association of Scotland with heroic historical adventures. For tourists coming to Scotland from abroad, it is quite handy to use Glasgow Airport Taxis as a means to begin exploring historic sites far away from the city.
The Jacobite Era: Rebellion, Loyalty and Adventure
One aspect of history that stands out to me because of its many qualities which are similar to those of a frontier story is the time of the Jacobites. Proponents of the Stuart monarchy repeatedly tried to reinstate this dynasty to the throne, and the Jacobite Rising of 1745 is probably the most well-known event of this kind.
Bonnie Prince Charles, the last claimant of the Scottish and British thrones belonging to the Stewart Dynasty, became a heroic figure despite the failed rebellion led by him. His life was filled with secret travels, battles, intrigues, escape and years in exile. Thus, the Jacobite period lends itself naturally to romantic story-telling.
The Battle of Culloden in 1746 put an end to the fight of the Jacobites and had a significant impact on Highland society, although the representation of events often ignores this fact and highlights such elements as bravery and tragic love.
Today, historical places associated with the Jacobites draw tourists who want to learn more about this dramatic period of history. In my opinion, exploring these lands gives a completely different impression as compared to a visit to a museum.
The Golden Age of Pirates and Maritime Adventure
The maritime history of Britain can provide another point for comparison with the American frontier. In the age of sail, British vessels traversed oceans, built trading empires, engaged in naval wars, and linked the far-flung corners of the world together.
Pirates, privateers, explorers, traders, sailors, and naval men were key characters in the narratives that emerged from this period. Despite all of the brutality, warfare, colonization, exploitation, and difficult working conditions in reality, literature and movies often portrayed this era as an adventurous time filled with treasure maps, uncharted islands, naval battles, and risky journeys.
The romantic view of the seafaring traditions of Britain is especially pronounced in seaside towns and ports with their histories of seafaring going back centuries. Such cities as Portsmouth, Plymouth, Bristol, and many others in Scotland are home to maritime history.
Victorian Britain: Industry, Invention and Exploration
This is a totally new approach to historical romance. There is no frontier, nor is there any wilderness that forms the center of romance. Instead, the Victorian age is known for its magnificent architecture, railroads, industrial towns, fashions, innovations, and adventures around the world.
There were a lot of changes during the Victorian times. Railroads changed the means of transportation, industries altered the nature of employment, and urban areas grew very fast. London became one of the most important cities in the world, and explorers from Britain traveled to far corners of the earth.
But, apart from that, the Victorian age has also been romanticized in the literary pieces. This age produced many great authors including Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, the Brontë sisters, and others. As a result, today we see period films depicting magnificent homes, fancy dinner parties, carriages, mysterious streets, and fashions.
As with the myth of the Wild West, the romantic vision of the Victorian age might be covering some hard realities of life.
Britain's Historic Cities as Living Time Capsules
Another fundamental distinction between the two countries is in terms of the volume of historic architecture that has survived the passage of time. Many cities in Britain feature structures that are hundreds of years old, while there are some settlements in the country that date back more than a thousand years.
Examples of such historic architecture include the Old Town of Edinburgh, the medieval streets of York, Georgian buildings in Bath, as well as Roman, medieval, Tudor, Georgian, and Victorian structures in London.
Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, has its own rich historical legacy. In addition to being known today as a center of culture, business, education, and music, the city boasts a history related to shipbuilding, industrial growth, trade, architecture, and dramatic social change.
Those interested in exploring these layers of the history of Glasgow can easily do so by combining sightseeing with convenience of private transportation. Such a task can be made simpler with the help of a professional Chauffeur Service Glasgow.
Is There a British Equivalent of the Wild West?
Yes and no – it is both. There is not one era in British history which is the same as the Wild West era.
America's Wild West period was such a compelling national myth due to the fact that it signified expansion, freedom, opportunities, and community-building.
But British history is diverse. There is romance in medieval times in England, the Scottish Highlands, castles and knights' age, Jacobite age, maritime age, and Victorian age.
Each era has its own flavor of adventure – the medieval era has knights and castles; the Scottish Highlands have clans and mountain life; the maritime era has sea voyages and exploration; the Victorian era has train travel, inventions, magnificent architecture, and travels around the world.
Why Historical Romance Still Matters Today
However, the glorification of history is still alive in tourism, entertainment industry, literature, architecture, fashion, and national identity itself. The point is that travelers do not visit only historically valuable places, but they also visit some places which give them certain atmosphere.
It is very important to appreciate the romanticism and to distinguish the legend from the actual facts of history. Legends can make the past interesting, but knowing the reality makes it much more interesting.
Thus, there is no necessity for the United Kingdom to create its own Wild West. There is enough history in the UK which can give travelers different adventures. It starts from the Medieval castles and historical battle fields to the valleys of the Highlands, from historic harbors to industrial towns and Victorian cities, British Isles have unique collection of stories which still fascinate people.
The great diversity of historical periods is what makes Britain an attractive destination for travelers who are fond of history. They are not looking for the wild west frontier but the history of the whole country.
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