WU 6-1 (B) 1/30/09 (S) 2/2/09

According to the textbook, what is a strong economy based on? What does this have to do with cattle and railroads?

Unit 6: Cattle and Railroads(B) 1/30/09

(S) 2/2/09

"Get Along Little Dogies"

As I was a walkin' one morning for pleasure,I spied a cow puncher a riding along.His hat was thrown back and his spurs was a jinglin',And as he approached he was singing this song

» REFRAINWhopee tie yi yo, git along little dogies.It's my misfortune and none of your own.Whopee tie yi yo, git along little dogies.For you know Wyoming will be your new home.

It's early in spring time that we round up the dogies.We mark 'em and brand 'em and bob off their tails.We round up the horses, load up the chuck wagon,And then drive the dogies out on the long trail.

Cowboy

Boots

Spurs

Chaps

Gloves

Wipe (bandanna)

Hat

The Real American CowboyWhat was the job of the cowboy?

WU 6-2 (B) 2/3/09 (S) 2/4/09

• Name two reasons why cattle were brought to Kansas from Texas.

Cattle Drives

1867 to mid-1880s

Longhorns driven to Kansas from Texas.

Open range

Three Major Trails– Shawnee– Chisholm

• San Antonio, TX to Abilene, KS

• Kansas Pacific Railroad

– Western• Bandera TX to Dodge City, KS

Longhorn

Jesse Chisholm

What was the purpose of cattle drives?

Purpose of Cattle Drives

Shortage of beef in the eastern United States, yet the demand was high.

Cattle herds had expanded rapidly due to them running wild.

People began rounding up wild Texas cattle and taking them east to sell.

Purpose (continued)

Cattle were worth more in the east than in Texas.

Cattle had to be moved to where the people lived so the meat would remain fresh.

Video

Cattle Trails Video

Video

Attracting Cattle Trade

Make money from the cattle drives.

Cowboys paid at the end of the trail

Local businessmen bought and sold cattle for a profit.

Towns wanted to prove they were the best site for selling and shipping cattle.

Why did towns want to attract cattle trade?

Cattle Towns

Located on a railroad line

The point where the cattle were shipped east.

Why did a town need to become a cattle town?

What Ended The Cattle Drives?

End of Cattle Trails from Texas to Kansas

•Settlers built fences•Barbed wire first

used on open range in 1874.

•Diseases from Texas cattle•Kansas Legislatures passed law

prohibiting infected cattle in Kansas.•Quarantine line restricted cattle

Railroads into Texas

Kansas Legislature End Cattle Drives

Legislatures passed laws to keep cattle drives out of Kansas.One law prohibited infected cattle from entering the state. Quarantine Line– Law amended to restrict all Texas cattle to

land west of McPherson. – Moved to southwest border of KS

Why did the Kansas Legislature put a stop to the cattle drives?

The Last Cowboy Song

Class Activity:

Mapping the Cowtowns and Railroads in Kansas

At one time, railroads and cattle trails crisscrossed the state of Kansas

To give you some idea of how extensive the rails and cowtowns were, map the routes of several railroads through Kansas and locations of cattle trade..

A list of Kansas railroads with information on their routes can be found at: http://www.ku.edu/heritage/research/rr/railroads.html

To do this mapping exercise, you will need…– Blank map of Kansas– Map of Kansas that locates cities and towns– List of towns

Directions:– Label the towns on the map– Draw and label the railroads and trails through Kansas

Railroad Land Grants

Federal government gave public lands to railroad companies in exchange for building tracks in specific locations.

U.S. government surveyed the public lands and divided them into one-mile square sections.

Railroads received every other section.

Railroad Land Grants (cont.)

Grants controversial – Had monopoly in specific regions. – Make a profit shipping goods to and from

communities in these areas.– Receiving too much of a subsidy.

Railroads Sell Land

Growth of towns along the rail lines resulted in profits for the railroad. The closer people lived to a railroad line, the more they would use the railroads services. The railroads also could make money selling their land grants so they competed for business.

Town Site Association

Surveyed the lands

Planned the selected town sites

Sold shares in the town sites to pay for land surveys

Railroads Bring Businesses

More profitable to encourage several smaller specialized stores in a central location rather than one general store

More business lots could be sold

“The Rain Follows the Plow”

Cultivation of the land could and would change the climate.

As the plow broke the sod, the rainfall would increase.

Crops in Kansas

Corn

Oats

Cotton

Tobacco

Rye

Barley

flax

Castor beans

Hemp

Broomcorn

Grapes

Fruit orchards

Wheat

Farming

Subsistence– provided food for the farmer’s family

Commercial– Having surplus products to sell

By late 1800s, most farmers grew crops to sell, while at the same time growing gardens to feed their family.

Mechanization

Saved time Need for less hired help Grain-drilling machines helped farmers to plant seeds. Mechanical reaper was pulled through the field cutting the stalks of grain.Mechanical threshing helped farmers separate the grain from the straw.

Grange Movement

National organization that brought farmers together. Started for social and cultural reasons. Promoted education among farmers Offered the chance for farmers to associate with other farmers who might share common concerns. Started to represent the political needs of the farmer.

Job of the Cowboy

Age: Early 20s

Made $24-$40 a month

Took care of the cattle, driving them north to the railroad lines in Kansas.

Traveled 750 miles on the trail for more than 30-40 days.

Spent 18 hours a day on a horse.