the western is one of the youngest film genres

The Western is indeed one of the youngest film genres.

Here's a breakdown of why:

Emergence of Film: Motion pictures themselves are a relatively new invention, with the first public film screenings happening around the late 1890s.

Thematic Match: The Western genre thrived as the technology of filmmaking coincided with the American fascination with the settling of the American frontier, which peaked in the late 19th century.