The American frontier comprises the geography, history, folklore, and cultural expression of life in the forward wave of American westward expansion since the colonial era. Enormous popular attention in the media focuses on the second half of the 19th century, a period sometimes called the Old West, or the Wild West. As defined by Hine and Faragher, "frontier history tells the story of the creation and defense of communities, the use of the land, the development of markets, and the formation of states." They explain, "It is a tale of conquest, but also one of survival, persistence, and the merging of peoples and cultures that gave birth and continuing life to America." Through treaties with foreign nations and native peoples, political compromise, technological innovation, military conquest, establishment of law and order, and the great migrations of foreigners, the United States expanded from coast to coast (Atlantic Ocean to Pacific Ocean), fulfilling advocates' belief in Manifest Destiny. In securing and managing the West, the U.S. federal government greatly expanded its powers, as the nation evolved from an agrarian society to an industrialized nation. First promoting settlement and exploitation of the land, by the end of the 19th century the federal government assumed stewardship of the remaining open spaces. As the American frontier passed into history, the myths of the west took firm hold in the imagination of Americans and foreigners alike.

The Wild is a 2006computer-animated film directed by Steve "Spaz" Williams, produced by Clint Goldman, assistant produced by Jim Burton and C.O.R.E. Feature Animation, and was distributed by Walt Disney Pictures on April 14, 2006, in the United States.

The movie begins with Samson the lion (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland) telling his son Ryan (voiced by Greg Cipes) stories of his adventures in the wild. Ryan attempts to imitate his father's roar, but all he can manage is a squeaky meow. Ryan is teased by the zoo guests and he sulks away on his rock. During the night, when the zoo closes, all the animals are free to roam. Samson heads off to play a game of Turtle Curling with the other animals, while Ryan is taunted to come with his friends Eze the Hippo (voiced by Miles Marsico) and Duke the Kangaroo (Jack DeSena) to stalk the gazelles like his father. Samson later observes as his best friend Benny the Squirrel (voiced by James Belushi) tries to get Bridget the Giraffe (voiced by Janeane Garofalo) to go out with him, but she is clearly not interested. Along with Bridget, an unlucky koala named Nigel (voiced by Eddie Izzard), and a dim-witted snake named Larry (voiced by Richard Kind), Samson competes in a Turtle Curling Game against a team of Penguins. Meanwhile, Ryan's friends sneak into the gazelle exhibit. Ryan tries to stop Eze and Duke with a roar, but meows instead. However, it wakes the gazelles into a stampede, which ruins his father's game. This ends up invoking Samson's anger as he scolds Ryan for spending all day sulking. Ryan retorts by saying he sulks because he would feel much better being a loser if his father wasn't "Samson the Wild."

Crazy Horse (Lakota: Tȟašúŋke Witkó (in Standard Lakota Orthography), literally "His-Horse-Is-Crazy" or "His-Horse-Is-Spirited"; ca. 1840 – September 5, 1877) was a Native American war leader of the Oglala Lakota. He took up arms against the U.S. Federal government to fight against encroachments on the territories and way of life of the Lakota people, including leading a war party at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876.

After surrendering to U.S. troops under General Crook in 1877, Crazy Horse was fatally wounded by a military guard while allegedly resisting imprisonment at Camp Robinson in present-day Nebraska. He ranks among the most notable and iconic of Native American tribal members and has been honored by the U.S. Postal Service with a 13¢ Great Americans series postage stamp.

Sources differ on the precise year of Crazy Horse's birth, but they agree he was born between 1840 and 1845. According to a close friend, he and Crazy Horse "were both born in the same year at the same season of the year", which census records and other interviews place at about 1845.Encouraging Bear, an Oglala medicine man and spiritual adviser to the Oglala war leader, reported that Crazy Horse was born "in the year in which the band to which he belonged, the Oglala, stole One Hundred Horses, and in the fall of the year", a reference to the annual Lakota calendar or winter count. Among the Oglala winter counts, the stealing of 100 horses is noted by Cloud Shield, and possibly by American Horse and Red Horse owner, as equivalent to the year 1840-41. Oral history accounts from relatives on the Cheyenne River Reservation place his birth in the spring of 1840. On the evening of his son's death, the elder Crazy Horse told Lieutenant H. R. Lemly that his son "would soon have been thirty-seven, having been born on the South Cheyenne river in the fall of 1840".