11-2 Flashcards
Where is the Great Plains?
From North Dakota to Texas
How much rainfall does the Great Plains receive?
less than 20 in. per year
What did Major Stephen Long say about the Great Plains?
He called it the Great American Desert.
How did the railroads help settle the Great Plains?
They sold cheap land along the rail lines and offered credit.
What does “Rain Follows the Plow” mean?
Myth that cultivating land would cause rain.
What does “Rain Follows the Plow” mean?
Myth that cultivating land would increase rainfall.
What was the Homestaed Act?
It was an act that gave 160 acres of land for free if you were to cultivate it and live on it for 5 years. It came with a $10 registration fee.
Why was life so difficult for Homesteaders?
- lack of trees meant sod houses
- lack of water meant digging wells
- constant threat of fires and grasshoppers
Where was the Wheat Belt?
Part of the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas
This is the action of sticking a seed deep enough to where it accesses groundwater.
dry farming
This is the action of farming enough crops to meet outside demand.
commercial farming
What brought on hard times for farmers?
- drop of prices
- mother nature
- many couldn’t pay mortgage
What brought the frontier to a close?
Oklahoma Land Rush
