Section 3 – The Cattle Kingdom Chapter 17 Section 3 – The Cattle Kingdom

The Rise of the Cattle Industry Wild cattle had been on the open range for many years. When railroads came in the 1860’s there was now a way to get them to markets.

Cattle Drives Spring was the best time to begin the drive. The drive would last two to three months for the cowboys that took the challenge. Many famous trails in the West, and in one years time it was possible to move 600,000 cattle to the North. These were two that moved cattle to the East

Life on the Trail Cattle drives could be exciting, but very dangerous too. Bad weather, swift rivers, grass fires, pulling cattle from swamps, and chasing off thieves were all risks a cowboy would have to be willing to deal with. 18 hour work day for $1. THIS IS LOW PAY!

Spanish Roots Vaquero, Spanish word meaning “cowboy” Job was to tend to cattle in Mexico, California, and the Southwest Borrowed from vaqueros: spurs, chaps, hats (sombrero), how to ride, rope (lazo), and brand 1/3 Mexican, other African American and vets of Civil War

The Wild West 1867 Joseph McCoy from Illinois has first idea for a cow town or settlement at the end of a trail (Abilene) More were to follow “Wild West” was a myth mostly promoted by people like “Buffalo Bill” William Cody and seen as a place of adventure by many There was some “wildness” to early cow towns, but this all gained order as more settlers moved west. http://www.lucidityinfodesign.com

Group Up! Within you group, think of a movie or television show you have seen that took place in the “Wild West”. Describe some of the events you saw in that show and compare it with what it says life was like in our book. Do you think the show you watched was historically correct? Or do you feel they were continuing the myths of the “Wild West” with how the story was told?

Boom and Bust of the Cattle Kingdom By mid 1880’s more than 7 million cattle roamed range 1886-1887 brutal summers and winters along with an economic depression destroyed demand for beef Sheep ranchers made matters worse for cattle ranchers This meant smaller ranches that grew their own feed and were close to rail lines were all that could survive Cattle boom lasted from 1860’s to 1880’s Area that included ranches, trails, and cow towns came to be known as cattle kingdom When times were good a rancher could buy a calf for $5 a head and sell it as a steer for $60 Even better when better breeding took place