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Westward Expansion
What will we discuss today? (Goals & Agenda)
Explore the life of the settlers
Identify challenges of settling the west
Identify innovations which changed the West
Discuss resulting political movements
Three primary topics for discussion
The West
The Cattle
Industry
The Farmers
The Populist
Movement
Growth of the Cattle Industry: with the decline of the buffalo and rise of railroads cattle ranching became BIG business
The Farmers & Homesteaders: Federal land policy , railroads, and further innovation encouraged rapid settlement
The Populist Movement: unfavorable economic cycles and difficult conditions unify farmers
Quick Q & A
What is the cattle industry?
What are the origins of cattle ranching?
Origins of the Cattle Industry Much of American Cattle Ranching & American
Cowboy got origins from Spanish/Mexican culture Longhorn cattle
Brought by the Spaniards Sturdy, short tempered accustomed to dry grasslands
Mexican Vaquero Chaparreras Caballo bronco “rough horse” Charqui “jerky”
Mexican Rancho Coral Rodeo
Growth of Cattle Industry Americanize
Added fur to chaps Boots with pointed
toes and heels The bandanna Six shooter
Growth of the Cattle Industry Not much of a industry
before the Civil War Ranchers didn’t move
far with cattle After the Civil War
demand for beef skyrocketed Population increase in
cities Railroads reach the West Chicago Union Stock
Yards Open (1865)
Demand after Civil War
Growth of the Cattle Industry With an
increase in demand, cattle ranchers will take their herds on the Long Drive
The Trails Western Trail Chisholm Trail Baxter Springs
Trail Goodnight-Loving
Trail
Growth of the Cattle Industry
THE HARDSHIPS
3 months on the trail Coffee, beans, bacon,
bread Sleeping on the
ground, bathing in streams
The dangers River crossings Lightning stampede
DECLINE OF THE INDUSTRY Increasing numbers of
ranchers trying to make it Competition for grazing
land Sheepherders (range
wars) Drought of 1883 Blizzard of 1887
68 degrees below zero Barbed wire
Closing of the wide open West
Quick Q & A
Which two (pull)factors drove settlement of the west?
Homestead Act/ Railroads
Farmers of the Plains
Faced immediate hardships Droughts/floods Fires Blizzards Locust Possible raids by Outlaws/native
americans Limited trees on the plains
Farmers on the Plains
Dugouts & Soddies Before farming the
land settlers had to build shelter for themselves
Because of lack of lumber, settlers used the prairie turf, grass and earth to make shelters
Havens for snakes, insects and other pests
Innovations for the Plains 1837 (John Deere)
Steel Plow 1847 reaper 1874 barbed wire By 1890 there are
over 900 manufacturers of farm equipment
In 1830 it took 183 minutes to produce a bushel of grain; by 1900 it took 10 minutes
What does this all mean for the farmers?
Government Programs for the plains
Morrill Land Grant Act 1862 & 1890
Land to states for agricultural colleges