Cattle Kingdom & Farming in the West
Sooners
"early" settlers of the OK land rush 1889
Information on Homesteading
-1900 half a millon farmers had moved to the Great Plains -1862 Congress passed the Homestead Act- offering free land to settlers -rrd. prompted farming by selling cheap land (many came from Europe)
Information about the "last rush for land"...
-April 1889: 100,000 "Boomers" came to claim land in OK that had become available -"Sooners" jumped the gun and came early- claiming much of the best land
How were the rise of the mining industry & cattle industry similar?
-both relied on labor of workers who were paid very little and generally exploited -both played a major role in the West (mining- NV, CA, Cattle- TX, KA) -both allowed leaders in the businesses to become wealthy -both were helped by the growth of railroads
Information on "Farmers Organize"
-overproduction caused crop prices to plummet -many farmers borrowed money to buy new farm machinery but couldn't pay back loans, so they lost land - lived in poverty & isolation lead to formation of granges -granges started for social interaction but lead to economic protest movement -1892 farmers helped create the Populist party- pushed for social & economic reform. they wanted silver to be used as money to create inflation so they could pay back their debt.
Information about the "Hard Life on the Plains"..
-water was scarce -dust storms -difficult to grow crops -the further west you went the dryer the climate -fertile land but was covered in sod -homes were built with sod because there was a lack of wood -John Deere invented the steel plow (good for tough sod) -Drills were used to plant seeds deep in the ground -reapers used to harvest crops - threshers to take hard coverings off the grain -windmill pumped water-deep from the ground -fences with barbed wire kept cattle from trampling land (invented in 1874 by Joseph Glidden)
How was life hard on the plains?
-whole families (including kids) were needed to make farms successful -women played major role, they farmed, took care of the home and educated the kids
What factors led to the end of the cattle boom?
1. Oversupply lead to drastic fall in prices for beed 2. land could no longer support the grazing of the animals 3. barbed wire was invented and farmers fenced off their land reducing the open range where cattle could graze- meaning that farmers had to buy expensive food for their cattle. 4. hot summers and harsh winters in 1886-1887 killed thousands of cattle and put ranchers out of business 5. Economic depression put many out of work in the east so demand dropped
what factors led to the rise of the cattle industry?
1. growth of the rrd to bring cattle east 2. available land out west for cattle to graze 3. high demand for need in eastern markets 4. new breeds of cattle that stayed healthier and had more meat 5. investment from easterner and Europeans
Exodusters
African American settlers (70,000) who migrated from the south to the Great Plains, especially Kansas. Many became farmers.
William McKinley
Candidate for president in 1896 who represented the interests of big business and bankers
William Jennings Bryan
Candidate for president in 1896 who represented the interests of famers and workers
Which trail covered the most distance?
Chisholm Trail
How did the cattle boom lead to economic prosperity for new towns in the west?
It helped to develop and grow towns in the west. Service businesses developed (hotels, saloons,etc.). Cattle could be bought cheap but sold at a much higher price, allowing Ranchers to make a lot of money.
In which states were cattle driven to the railroads by cowboys>
MO, KS, NE, CO, WY
vaquero
Mexican cowboy
Sodbusters
Plains farmers
what dangers did the cowboys face on a cattle drive?
Riding accidents were common, stampedes were dangerous, fast rivers carried them away, fighting grass fires, cattle thieves, Indian attacks, harsh terrain
Who won the election of 1896?
W. McKinley
cattle drive
cattle drives from Texas to railway towns in Kansas
Framers' Alliance
formed in late 1870's, helped farmers establish farm cooperatives, they pooled their money together to make larger purchase of tools and seed
Grange
groups of framers who met and supported one another
Cooperatives
groups of framers who pooled their money to make large purchases of tool, seed, and other supplies at discounts
Steel plow
invented by John Deere, it was good for breaking up the tough sod
Homestead Act
law passed by Congress in 1862 offering 160-acre plots of land to anyone who resided on the land for 5 years.
Populist
political party that pushed for reforms (social & economic), demanded public ownership of rrd, and generally supported the intrest of farmers and workers
used to harvest crops
reapers
Homesteaders
settlers who acquired free land from the govt.
cattle kingdom
the region dominated by the cattle industry and its ranches, trails and cow towns
used to take the coverings off the grain
threshers
cow town
towns in Kansas where cattle were driven to and loaded onto trains for transport, usually back East
open range
untended land where cattle were left to graze
pumped water deep from the ground
windmills