Chapter 17 Section 4 Farming in the West - Sheet1 Flashcards
How did farmers on the Plains struggle to make a living?
They worked to find methods for dealing with challenging farming conditions and dropping prices.
How did the Homestead Act help people gain land?
It provided land to settlers who would agree to live on it and farm on it for five years.
Who were the homesteaders?
people who took th federal government’s offer of land and agreed to work and live on it for five years
Why were so few homesteaders successful?
The Homestead Act did not give farmers enough land to support themselves.
Why was it so hard to farm the Plains if the land was fertile?
Cutting through the thick layer of sod that supported the Plains grasses required new technology; the climate was dry and farmers had to tap deep into the ground to get water.
What problems did settlers face on the Plains?
The climate was dry and the soil was covered with a thick sod.
How did settlers overcome their problems on the Plains?
They used new farming technologies: steel pows to break through the sod, barbed wire to keep cattle away from the field crops, and windmills to pump water.
Where were the Native Americans who had once owned the territory?
They may have been forced onto reservations.
Why was there such a rush for land?
There was little unsettled land left in the West.
Why did the “sooners” present a challenge to some farmers?
They took the best land, so some farmers were left with land that was difficult to farm.
Why was the Oklahoma land rush important?
It signaled the closing of the western frontier; the United States was now settled from coast to coast.
Who were the sodbusters and the Exodusters?
Sodbusters were Plains farmers and Exodusters were African Americans who settled on the plains.
What did Plains farmers and cattle ranchers have in common?
Railroads helped both ship their products around the country; both ended up facing economic crises.
How did granges help farmers?
They began as social and educational associations and evolved into economic and political movements.
Where was the last rush in the West?
Oklahoma
