Father and I Were Ranchers

Born in 1898, Ralph Moody was both a writer and a cowboy whose real-life experiences on the western frontier inspired his autobiographical work, Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers. The book was first published in 1950. It is part of a series that chronicles his youth in the early 20th-century American West. Drawing from his experiences as a rancher, Moody recounts his family’s 1906 move to Colorado during the final phase of westward expansion in the United States. The story follows Ralph’s family as they navigate a pivotal moment in the West, where land and opportunity remain rugged and defined by traditional frontier values while new industrial developments emerge. The rugged landscape forces individuals to navigate conflicts through physical courage and confront moral dilemmas in an untamed landscape where laws are fragile. As an early work of American frontier literature, the memoir delves into character development shaped by nature and necessity. It explores themes of The Dynamics of Community in Rural Settings, The Importance of Self-Reliance and Integrity, and The Impact of the Environment on Character Development. 

This guide refers to the 1991 Bison Books edition.