U2L6 Western Agriculture Flashcards
How did longhorns come to be?
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 are cattle drives?
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.
Why was the longhorn business good?
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.
What is the most famous cattle drive?
Chisholm Trail
How was the Chisholm Trail made?
In the late 1860s, Chisholm 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 did cowhands do?
These hard workers rode alongside the huge herds in good and bad weather. They kept the cattle moving and rounded up strays.
How many cowhands were either Mexican or American American?
Nearly one-third
What did vaqueros do?
Vaqueros were skilled riders who herded cattle on ranches in Mexico, California, and the Southwest.
How did the Spanish (or Mexicans idk) include cowhands?
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. Chaps protected a rider’s legs from the thorny plants that grow in the Southwest.
How did cow towns form?
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.
In cow towns, what was the Main Street of the town for?
Conducting business
In cow towns, what was the general store for?
Almost every town had a general store that sold groceries, tools, clothing, and all sorts of other goods. The general store also served as a social center where people could talk and exchange the latest news.
Why was religion big in towns?
Religion also played an important role for the townspeople. Throughout the West, places of worship grew in number and membership. They served as spiritual and social centers and as symbols of progress and stability.
What was the cattle kingdom? How long did it last?
In the 1870s, ranching spread north from Texas and across the grassy Plains. Soon, cattle grazed from Kansas to present-day Montana. Ranchers had built a Cattle Kingdom in the West. They came to expect high profits. Millions of dollars poured into the West from people in the East and in foreign countries who wanted to earn money from the cattle boom. However, the boom did not last.
How did ranchers identify cattle?
Each ranch had its own brand that was burned into a cow’s hide.
What problems came with sheepherders moving onto plains?
When sheepherders moved onto the Plains, ranchers tried to drive them out. The ranchers complained the sheep nibbled the grass so low that the cattle could not eat it. To protect the range, which they saw as their own, ranchers sometimes attacked sheepherders and their flocks.
