A number of women made names for themselves during the Wild West. Read our list of 12 of the most famous heroines from this time period, including Annie Oakley, Belle Starr, and Calamity Jane. See more »

Barbed Wire, twisted steel wire with short barbs or sharp points of wire twisted around it at regular intervals. See more »

Cowboy, a cattle herder, especially one employed in the range cattle industry. See more »

Homestead Law, a law granting free land to settlers. The first such law was the Homestead Act passed by Congress in 1862. See more »

Public Lands, in the United States, land owned by the federal government. This land is sometimes called the public domain, although that term also has a broader meaning. See more »

Squatter, in law, a person who settles on land, particularly public land, to which he or she has no legal title. See more »

Oakley, Annie, the stage name of Phoebe Anne Oakley Mozee Butler (1860-1926), a United States entertainer noted for her marksmanship. See more »

Billy the Kid (1859-1881), a notorious gunfighter of the Old West. A swaggering, cold-blooded killer to some, a romantic young firebrand to others, he was a legend in the Southwest even before his death at the age of 21. See more »

Brand, a mark made on an animal to show ownership. Branding became essential in the open-range cattle days of the American West when various owners' herds tended to intermingle, but its use is old and widespread. See more »

Calamity Jane (1852--1903), the nickname of Martha Jane Canary, also known as Mrs. See more »