Changing Times Flashcards
When was dry farming introduced?
1879
What was dry farming?
Sprinkling dust over the crops so when it rained the dust would soak up the water to ensure the crops had water until it next rained
When was the Sod buster invented?
1837
What was the sod buster?
It was a strong steel plough that could deal with tough prairie grass
What was the problem with the sod buster?
It was slow and not everyone could afford one
When was the ‘self-governing’ windmill invented?
1854
What did the ‘self-governing’ windmill do?
Pumped water out of the ground to make it more fertile for crops
When were steel blades introduced?
How did they help the ‘self-governing’ windmill?
1870
They made them tougher in strong winds
What was a disadvantage of the ‘self-governing’ windmill?
It needed constant maintenance and wasn’t powerful enough to pump up water from deep wells
When was turkey red wheat introduced?
1873
What was turkey red wheat?
Wheat that grew well on poor land
What was the advantage of turkey red wheat?
It grew well on Kansas farms so farmers were able to make a profit
What was the disadvantage of turkey red wheat?
It couldn’t be ground by the windmills until later on
When was barbed wire introduced?
1874
What was barbed wire used for?
Fencing off crops to protect them from people and animals
What was an advantage of using barbed wire?
It was cheaper than buying timber for fences and it was more effective
What was the disadvantage of barbed wire?
It would rust easily and was quite expensive
When was the sulky plow invented?
1875
When was the sulky plow invented?
1875
What could the sulky plow do?
Dig up tough weeds and prairie grass
What was the advantage of the sulky plow?
It was strong and easy to operate
What was a disadvantage of the sulky plow?
It could sometimes be unstable
What did too many cattle on the open range lead to?
Overgrazing (too little grass)
Prices dropping (oversupply of beef)
What was the winter of 1886-87?
Freezing temperatures and deep snow killed at least 15% of cattle and many cattlemen went bankrupt
What happened as a result of the great die up?
The end of the open range
How did smaller ranches improve the cattle industry?
Smaller herds were easier to manage.
Cattle produced better meat and prices rose
When was the exoduster movement?
1879
What was the exoduster movement?
A migration of black Americans from the southern states to Kansas
What is sharecropping?
When a land owner allows a tenant to use some of their land in return for a share of the crops they grow
Why did exodusters struggle to farm?
They had no money to set up farming
How did white Americans respond to the exodusters?
There was lots of opposition.
Many believed that they shouldn’t be helped and should return south
When was the Oklahoma land rush?
1889
What did the Dawes act do?
Ended reservations
Divided land into 160 acre plots
Each plains Indian family was given a plot
The rest was put up for sale to white settlers
When was the Dawes act?
1887
What happened during the Oklahoma Land rush?
The US government opened up the middle section of the Indian territory (unclaimed land). On the 22nd April 1889, thousands of white settlers rushed to claim a 160 acre section
