Bass Reeves Mini-Series Podcast: The Man Who Inspired The Lone Ranger

 One of the most persistent and attractive myths concerns The Wild West of post-Civil War America. "Patriots" view it nostalgically as a time and place when "men were real men," frontier justice was meted out fairly to all, and guns were routinely used to settle all disputes. 

Sadly, none of those myths are true. Frontier justice was still hobbled by racism, gunfights were actually a rare occurrence, and most emigrants to the West were families struggling to make ends meet.

That's why Parcast's latest mini-series Bass Reeves: No Master But Duty, from the Solved Murders: True Crime Mysteries podcast, is such a must-listen. 

It's drama wrapped in a history lesson.

 Bass Reeves: No Master But Duty follows Bass’ evolution from an enslaved man, to his escape becoming a fugitive in America’s most dangerous, lawless territory just before the Civil War. Bass became a warrior, and as a U.S. Deputy Marshal protecting and providing for his family, he faced countless risks and criminals on a daily basis. 

 Bass Reeves was one of the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi, who went from beginning his life in bondage to apprehending over 3,000 outlaws in America’s most deadly frontier.

All four episodes are now available for Parcast, a Spotify Studio’s,  investigating the life and legacy of the man widely believed to have inspired the Lone Ranger.

Throughout the four-part mini-series, available exclusively for free on Spotify, host and arts-activist Darnell Ishmel takes listeners on a journey deep into the Old West, combining historical records, exclusive expert interviews including actor James Pickens Jr. and historian Art T. Burton, and a haunting original score to tell the story of one of the most prolific lawmen in American history.

Eventually, Bass himself was put on trial as he stands up for his own innocence. In the final episode, as Oklahoma hurdled toward statehood, Bass faced unprecedented challenges, a firestorm of racial violence, personal tragedies, and a murder case where his commitment to duty is tested like never before involving his own son.

Over the four-episode mini-series, Darnell Ishmel acts as our guide and guest host, exploring the exploits of a legendary figure of the Wild West. The man widely believed to have inspired the Lone Ranger… Who was born into slavery and became one of America’s most revered lawmen. 

His name was Bass Reeves.

  Episode Title: Episode 1: Bass in the Wild
Episode Description: As an enslaved man, Bass Reeves fights hand-to-hand with his enslaver. Victorious, Bass escapes, becoming a fugitive in America’s most dangerous, lawless territory just before the Civil War. 

 Episode Title: Episode 2: U.S. Marshal
Episode Description: Eager to protect his growing family, Bass becomes one of the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshals West of the Mississippi. The face of the law in a lawless land, Bass outwits and outshoots countless criminals. 

 Episode Title: Episode 3: Lawman vs. The Law
Episode Description: Accused of murdering his cook in cold blood, Bass stands up for his own innocence - breaking himself financially. Not long after he frees himself, the Marshals become embroiled in a bloody war with a legendary Cherokee leader.
 

Episode Title: Episode 4: Oklahoma Burning
 Episode Description: As a firestorm of racial violence rages through the territory, Bass Reeves learns of his next arrest: his own son. Soon after, statehood and Jim Crow laws force Bass into retirement, while whitewashing covers up his accomplishments as Oklahoma's Lone Ranger. In search of justice, we consider his complex legacy. 

Check out Bass Reeves: No Master But Duty. You may never think of The Wild West the same way again. 

As Bass might say if he lived in modern society, "Do you feel lucky? Well, doing ya, punk."