Name ______________________________________________________ Hour ___

Sodbusters

Sodbuster- (Also called a homesteader); A farmer who established a homestead on the Great Plains and built a house from cut bricks of sod:

A shortage of materialsHow did settlers solve the problem of few trees to build their houses?

African AmericansBlack homesteaders in Kansas were called _______________________________

Challenges of WaterHow did sodbusters adapt to the minimal rivers and lakes, in addition to shorter rainfall than back East?

Lack of fuelWhat did homesteaders use to burn for cooking and heat?

Plowing the landWhat improvement had to be made to plow the tough prairie sod?

Crops were trampledHow did sodbusters protect their property from large animal damage?

FiresWhat did sodbusters do to protect against prairie fires?

Plagues of insectsHow did sodbusters deal with insects that damaged their crops?

Life was unhealthyWith the scarcity of doctors, how did sodbusters get medical treatment?

Homesteads were isolatedHow did sodbusters deal with the loneliness that accompanied their move out West?