Pioneers were terrible, ever watch wagontrain. Law would lynch for anything interracial. Also hanging for minor theft. These were ignorant violent people. Almost wiped out the indians. Ever hear of wounded knee? Society did not grow up until mid- 20th century.
In my family the men worked and the women tended to the family. The Men went to the bars, and the women went to church. The men liked to play Cards and they liked to play Billiards. My Grandmother who grew up during the Great Depression loved games, and she loved to gamble. The Cowboys love Las Vegas today.
My family in Arkansas were farmers who went broke during the Great Depression, and the men married Indians, and they married the Blacks, they all married and mixed. If you fell in love with a woman then it did not matter where she came from. And the same with the Mexicans, they all mixed. We were Lovers and not fighters, my ancestors married the Indian women and the Black women.
In Colorado my Great Grandfather was the Chief of Police of Denver, and he was a Gentleman. It was hard on him when the family fell into poverty during the Great Depression.
And I had family who were pioneers in Oregon, they were proud hard working people. Mostly they worked in Mining, and in Lumber, and Cattle Ranching, and Farming.
And you can still go to little towns in the USA such as La Junta, Colorado, and you can meet the descendants of the original pioneers who settled in Colorado. And the same with Mena, Arkansas, you can go meet the descendants of the original pioneers.
Mostly the pioneers were good workers and farmers and Cowboys.
Willie Nelson is a good Cowboy from Texas, he descended from the pioneers.
A lot of the pioneers were great people.
Also, "Little House on the Prairie" was a true story, but there is not a lot in it about Indians and Blacks and Chinese.
Salute,
Tony V.