Lesson 6: Western Agriculture Flashcards
Cattle Drive Definition
the herding and moving of cattle, usually to railroad lines
Cooperative Definition
a group of people who pool their money to buy or sell goods wholesale
Cow Town Definition
a settlement that grew up at the end of a cattle trail
Inflation Definition
a rise in prices and a decrease in the value of money
Morrill Acts Definition
the acts passed in 1862 and 1890 that provided public land for agricultural colleges
Sod House Definition
a house built of soil held together by grass roots
Sodbuster Definition
a farmer on the Great Plains in the late 1800s
Vaquero Definition
a Spanish or Mexican cowhand
Wholesale Definition
the buying or selling of something in large quantities at lower prices
During Reconstruction, which rebuilt the South, what was developing in the West?
Cattle ranching (Since 1860)
What happened before the boom of cattle ranching in 1860, that helped populate the Southwest with cattle?
Before this time, the Spanish, and then the Mexicans, had set up cattle ranches in the Southwest. Over the years, strays from these ranches, along with American breeds, grew into large herds of wild cattle. These wild cattle were known as longhorns. They roamed freely across the grassy plains of Texas.
What did Texas ranchers do as a response to the increase in the demand of meat? What were cattle drives?
After the Civil War, the demand for beef increased. People in the growing cities in the East were eating more meat. Miners, railroad crews, farmers, and growing communities in the West added to the demand. The Texas longhorns were perfect for the commercial market. They could travel far on little water, and they required no winter feeding. In response, Texas ranchers began rounding up herds of longhorns. They drove the animals hundreds of miles north to railroad lines in Kansas and Missouri on trips called cattle drives.
Who was Jesse Chisholm? What was the Chisholm Trail?
Jesse Chisholm blazed one of the most famous cattle trails. Chisholm was half Scottish and half Cherokee. In the late 1860s, he began hauling goods by wagon between Texas and the Kansas Pacific Railroad. His route crossed rivers at the best places and passed by water holes. Ranchers began using the Chisholm Trail in 1867. Within five years, more than one million cattle had walked the road.
What were the jobs of cowhands, employed by ranchers? Which group made up the majority of cowhands? What other groups were cowhands? What did some cowhands dream of?
Ranchers employed cowhands to tend their cattle and drive herds to market. These hard workers rode alongside the huge herds in good and bad weather. They kept the cattle moving and rounded up strays. After the Civil War, veterans of the Confederate Army made up the majority of the cowhands who worked in Texas. However, it is estimated that nearly one in three cowhands was either Mexican American or African American. Some cowhands dreamed of setting aside enough money to start a herd of their own. Most, in the end, just worked to earn wages.
What are some examples of the Spanish influence on cowhands? What are Vaqueros?
American cowhands learned much about riding, roping, and branding from Spanish and Mexican vaqueros (vah KEHR ohs). Vaqueros were skilled riders who herded cattle on ranches in Mexico, California, and the Southwest. The gear used by American cowhands was modeled on the tools of the vaquero. Cowhands used the leather lariat to catch cattle and horses. Lariat comes from the Spanish word for rope. Cowhands wore wide-brimmed hats like the Spanish sombrero. Their leather leggings, called chaps, were modeled on Spanish chaparreras (chah pah REH rahs). Chaps protected a rider’s legs from the thorny plants that grow in the Southwest.
How did the physical environment shape a cowhand’s work? What difficulties did cowhands face? What were they given for their efforts? Was this a sufficient amount at the time?
A cattle drive was hot, dirty, tiring, and often boring work. A cowboy’s days could last for nearly 18 hours. The work was so strenuous that cowhands usually brought a number of horses so that each day a fresh one would be available. Cowhands worked in all kinds of weather and faced many dangers, including prairie dog holes, rattlesnakes, and fierce thunderstorms. They had to prevent nervous cattle from drowning while crossing fast-flowing rivers. They had to fight raging grass fires. They also faced attacks from cattle thieves who roamed the countryside. One of the cowhand’s worst fears on a cattle drive was a stampede. A clap of thunder or a gunshot could set thousands of longhorns off at a run. Cowhands had to avoid the crush of hoofs and horns while attempting to turn the stampeding herd in a wide circle. Most cowhands did not work for themselves. Instead, they were hired hands for the owners of large ranches. For all their hard work, cowhands were fed, housed, and lucky to earn $1 per day. Even in the 1870s, this was low pay.
How cattle drives lead to the development of settlements and businesses, such as cow towns?
Before long, cattle drives began to influence the settlement of western towns. As more cattle were driven through these areas, businesses offering services to the cowhands began to form in towns. As a result, cattle drives ended in cow towns that had sprung up along the railroad lines. The Chisholm Trail, for example, ended in Abilene, Kansas. Other cow towns in Kansas were Wichita, Caldwell, and Dodge City. In cow towns, cattle were held in great pens until they could be loaded into railroad cars and shipped to markets in the East.
In Abilene and other busy cow towns, what served as entertainment for cowhands? Why did this cause sheriffs to have trouble keeping the peace?
In Abilene and other busy cow towns, dance halls, saloons, hotels, and restaurants catered to the cowhands. Sheriffs often had a hard time keeping the peace. Some cowhands spent wild nights drinking, dancing, and gambling.