Turn of the Century SS5H3. The student will describe how life changed in America at the turn of the century.

Complete the Turn of the Century KWL Chart.

The Beginning of the Cattle Industry Ranching in the American West began in the 1700’s in what is now Texas, when that area was a Spanish colony. The first ranches were started with cattle brought from Spain. By the early 1800’s settlers from the U.S. and Mexico had moved to Texas. Many of them started cattle ranches.

First Cowboys The first cowboys were the Mexican vaqueros. American settlers learned cattle ranching from them in Texas. Native Americans and European Americans, English and Spanish-speaking, worked as cowboys, too. By the late 1800’s, many of the cowboys ranching in west Texas were African Americans.

Black Cowboys Black cowboys were common in Texas beginning 100 years before. Many were former slaves who found freedom through being cowboys. Other cowboys did not discriminate against them like people in big cities and farming areas did. After the Civil War black cowboys were able to get jobs running ranches. Some of them policed Native American territories for the federal government. A few were able to own their own farms or ranches.

The Rise of the Cattle Industry Before the Civil War, cattle were raised mainly for their hides. In Texas, cows were inexpensive, selling for about $4 per cow. People in the northern cities wanted to buy beef, but their cattle prices were 10 times as high as they were in Texas. Texas cattle ranchers could make lots of money if they could get their cattle to northern markets. Money from the cattle trade helped Texas recover from the Civil War.

The Open Range Many ranchers wanted to let their cattle graze on the large open grasslands of the Great Plains. These grasslands were owned by the federal government. The government allowed the ranchers to use this land as free grazing land.

Ranch Life Living on a ranch was difficult work for everyone. Women cooked and did other chores. Children cared for the horses and herded cattle. Every spring and fall ranchers hired cowhands to drive their cattle from the open range to a stockyard. At the stockyard, cattle were marked with a brand.

Barbed Wire Barbed wire was invented by Joseph Glidden in 1874 to prevent cattle from wandering off the ranch and into a nearby farmer’s field. Ranchers and farmers could now build fences made of barbed wire and wood posts easier and cheaper than ones made of rock or wood.

In order to get cows to northern cities, they shipped them on railroad cars. “Cow towns” were where cows were bought and loaded on railroad cars. Large holding pens, called stockyards, were built to keep the cattle in until they were placed on the railroad car. Abilene, Kansas; Dodge City, Kansas; Ogallala, Nebraska; and Cheyenne, Wyoming were known as “cow towns.”

Cattle Drives The best way to get cattle to a cow town was by a cattle drive. On a cattle drive, ranch workers on horseback would drive the cattle, or make them move to another place. These trips were called cattle drives. Each drive took about 3 months.

Cattle Drives During the cattle drive, a trail boss managed a crew of 10-12 cowhands, who were all skilled ranch workers. A crew could move as many as 3,000 head of cattle during a long drive.

Chisholm Trail One of the most famous cattle trails was the Chisholm Trail. It started in southern Texas and went all the way to Abilene. When the cattle herds reached Abilene, the cattle were loaded onto freight cars and sent to Chicago, where they were prepared for market. Their meat was sent in refrigerated freight cars to all parts of the East and to Europe. The Chisholm Trail was used for 20 years after the Civil War.

The Great Western Cattle Trails The great western cattle trails were the routes that cowboys moved cattle. Saddlebag activity