Gaucho is a term used to describe men who lived a horse and cattle lifestyle on the South American pampas (or grasslands),  and on the chacos, or Patagonian plains. They are roughly the equivalent of the North American cowboy and are found mainly in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Southern Chile. The word Gaucho is derived from the Quechua word, huachu (orphan, wanderer) for the nomadic lifestyle of these romanticized figures of the South American pampas. Most gauchos were either Criollo (South Americans whose ancestors were Spanish) or Mestizo ( of mixed Spanish and Native American heritage) Their range was the vast grassy plain that begins in Patagonia, is bordered by the Andes mountains, and extends north to the Rio Grande de Sul in Brazil.

The gaucho lifestyle was more practiced in the 19th century than in modern times, but it has been recorded as early as the 1600s. An excess of cattle brought to Argentina by Pedro de Mendoza in 1538 afforded these wanderers a living. The cattle were more desired for the leather that could be manufactured from their hides than for their meat in those days, so, once the cattle were slaughtered, the gauchos would grill their meat of over open fires before it rotted. This influenced the prevalence of grilled beef in modern-day Argentina.

Gauchos play an important role in the patriotic pride of this region, especially in Uruguay and Argentina. José Hernandez wrote the poem Martín Fierro using the protagonist, a gaucho, as a representation against the corruption of the political climate in Argentina of the day and especially against the tendency for Argentina to become more European influenced with the passage of time.

The gauchos dressed differently from North American cowboys. They wore ponchos that doubled as saddle blankets and sleeping bags; and loose fitting pants known as bombachas. They belted the pants with a tirador, which was wrapped between the legs and around the hips. Other gear included a large knife or facón, and a multi-plaited leather whip with rocks tied at the ends, known as a boleadoras. They wore heavy wool ponchos in the winter as protection from the elements.

They gathered together in “vaquerias” for hunting purposes. They would use the boleadoras to stop animals from running away. The gauchos were the recipients of unwelcome attention from the “cabilde,” a government organization of Buenos Aires that feared the economic consequences of what was thought of as their indiscriminate slaughter of cattle. The feeling was that the leather industry might suffer if they were allowed to continue to wander the plains.
The gauchos only began to gain respect when they joined in the struggle for independence from Spain and fought alongside the Criollos to free themselves from Spanish rule. Also, once the salt mining industry developed, their services began to be in demand. Salt could now be employed to preserve beef, so as the cattle industry developed, the gauchos were employed to work on the haciendas that were built for the running and containment of cattle. Since beef was becoming as important as leather and no one knew more than the gauchos did about cattle and the open grasslands of Argentina, many of them made the transition to gainful employment on these ranches.

Gauchos have a special dance that they perform with the “boleadores” that they usd to herd cattle. The gauchos hit the stage floor with the boleadores in rhythm with a special type of drum and the footwork of their tap dancing, called “zapateo.” The boleadores are played in a fast, dangerous rhythm while the gauchos persist in augmenting the dance with their feet, making an impressive, staccato display.