CuriousSearched: Women in America, Women of America, and a lot of things about crossdressing, but I didn't find anything relevant to the question I need an answer to.
Question: How likely would it be that a woman traveling west in a wagon train could get away with going under the guise of being a man? I realize that it won't be easy, but I have a female character who needs to travel west alone. I doubt many women went west alone to begin with (diaries are all seemingly by married women, or daughters traveling with their parents), but this one in particular will dress and try to pass herself off as a man.
Seeing as how it won't be easy, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas my character could use to try and keep her real gender hidden from not only the other men, but the other women as well.
Also note that I think I'm planning to have my character travel from Independence, Missouri, in case that might somehow be relevant.
