Chapter 13, Section 3 Cattle Kingdoms p. 464-468 An extensive cattle industry develops in the West to provide meat for the nation.
The Rise of the Cattle Industry Main Idea: Railroads give ranchers a way to get cattle to distant markets. Hearty longhorn cattle graze on the open range unfenced lands Demand for fresh meat cause cattle trails to connect to railroad routes Cattle drives move herds of longhorn over 1000s of miles to railroad junctions the herding and moving of cattle over long distances Texas Longhorn
Cattle Trails in the West Describe a cowboy’s life on a cattle drive.
Life on the Trail Cattle drives are very dangerous Main Idea: Cowhands, working long hours for low pay, learn skills developed earlier by Spanish and Mexican vaqueros. Cattle drives are very dangerous Lightning strikes cause stampedes Grass fires, swamps, & Cattle thieves (“rustlers”) The “cowboy” gets its roots from Mexico & Spain Spanish Roots: vaqueros tended cattle in Mexico, California, and the Southwest Spanish word for cowhand or cowboy American cowboys borrow MUCH from Mexican Vaqueros: sombrero (hat), lazo (lasso), spurs, chaps, saddles… How to ride, rope and brand The 1st Cowboys: Los Vaqueros
The Wild West Cow town - settlement at the end of a cattle trail Main Idea: The West gains an exaggerated reputation for lawlessness and violence. Cow town - settlement at the end of a cattle trail Cowboys spend pay at cow towns Dance halls, saloons, hotels, restaurants, stores…. Cowboys wanted “a bath, a good meal, a soft bed & some fun” The myths of the West begins… Much interest in the “Wild West” William ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody: western showman Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show Annie Oakley: female sharp-shooter Sitting Bull gave Oakley the Lakota name, "Watanya Cicilla“ “Little Sure Shot” Buffalo Bill Annie Oakley
Advertisement for Buffalo Bill’s travelling Wild West show
Boom & Bust in the Cattle Kingdom Main Idea: Overstocking and a spell of bad weather eventually put an end to the cattle boom. Cattle Kingdom - region dominated by cattle industry and its ranches, trails & cow towns Cattle Boom: Calf sell at $5 each & a mature steer at $60 each Cattle Drives are expensive but extremely profitable Extreme Weather: Heat & Cold kill millions of cattle in 1886 & 1887 Sheep-herding brings competition to the open range Barbed wire closes the open range New railroad lines make cattle drives unnecessary - Cattle boom is over. The Cowboy rides into sunset of history and becomes a legend