Cowboys and Railroads

The Cattle Industry Becomes Big Business

• As the herds of buffalo disappeared, horses and cattle flourished on the plains. Before long, cattle were plentiful and had become big business in Texas and Kansas

The First Cowboys

• Cattle and horses were first introduced to the New World by Spanish explorers

• Spanish herds thrived on the Mexican plains

• First cowboys were the Mexican Vaquero.

• Many of the words we use today come from the Spanish Language:

Corral, rodeo, bronco, ranch, chaps….

YES Ben!

• Many cowboys worked 10-14 hour days

• 55,000 cowboys between 1866-1885

• Life was hard for a cowboy-risking death from stampedes, paid very little and losing cattle during the long cattle drives.

Growing Demand for Beef

• The Civil War created a demand for beef in the east.

• The bigger the cities, the greater the demand for meat. Chicago, St. Louis, and New York.

• During reconstruction food was needed for the rebuilding process.

• Stock Yards were created in the big cities near the rail lines to house the animals as they waited to be butchered.

The Chisholm Trail• A more convenient

route• Major cattle route

from Texas to Kansas

• Cattle towns with shipping yards popped up near railroads

• Cowboys drove their herds to these Cow towns.

As fast as the cattle herds multiplied and ranching was big business, the cattle frontier met its end

• Over grazing of the free land

• Bad / unpredictable weather

• Joseph Glidden’s invention of Barbed Wire– Created a series of fenced in

ranches owned by few.

– The era of the cowboy and the open west was ended as fast as it started.

End of an Era

The Age of the Railroads

The Age of the Railroads

• From 1850 – 1871 the government gave 170 million acres in land grants to the railroad companies.• This program was designed to open up the western territory.

Major Railroads• There were two major

companies/each receiving rights to public land ownership surrounding their tracks.

• Union Pacific moved westward form Omaha , NE

• Central Pacific move eastward from Sacramento

• Most of the grueling work was done by Chinese immigrants, African Americans, Irish and Mexican Americans

Promontory Point• Both Railroads

met at Promontory Point, Utah.

• 1869• A great

Celebration took place and the golden spike marked the accomplishment.

Importance of the Railroad• Opened up the

West• Made the nation

more united• Fostered the

growth of towns• Promoted trade• Helped form cattle

shipping yards

Settling on the Great Plains• Homestead Act-160 acres to any

one who cultivated the land for 5 years.

• Oklahoma Land Rush-in less than 24 hrs, 2 million acres were claimed.

Challenges of the Plains

• Extreme hardships: blizzards, fires, floods. Outlaws and native Americans

• Soddy’s – a freestanding house like a dugout. Cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

• Morril Land Grant Acts- gave federal land to states to help finance agricultural Colleges.

• This helped improve the land with innovative farming techniques.

Farmers in Debt• Bonanza farms-huge single crop

spreads of 10,000 acres or more• Rising cost of shipping grain.• But because of these challenges,

farmers united in a common cause.

YES Ben!!!