Chapter 14: The Western Crossroads (1860-1910) Section 3: The Cattle Boom

Ranching in the West The earliest ranchers in the American West were Spaniards who imported cattle from Spain in the 1500s.

Ranching in the West By the 1850s, Texans had interbred English cattle with Spanish cattle to produce a new breed – the Texas longhorn. These cattle could travel long distances on little water, and were immune to Texas fever (a cattle disease).

Ranching in the West The growth of eastern cities led to an increase in the demand for beef. Cattle ranching in Texas grew rapidly, especially after overhunting caused the buffalo to die out.

Ranching in the West The Spanish also introduced sheep ranching. American Indians raised sheep in New Mexico and Arizona. During the California gold rush, sheep were herded into California to feed the miners.

Ranching in the West Cowboys hated sheep, believing that they ate the roots of the grass and ruined it for cattle. Clashes between shepherds and cowboys often became violent. Angry cowboys even drove herds of sheep off of cliffs.

Question 1 What conflicts occurred between cattle and sheep ranchers?

The Cattle Industry The workers who took care of a rancher’s cattle were known as cowboys. The life of a cowboy was difficult. They worked hard in all kinds of weather and were paid little.

The Cowboys Many cowboys were Confederate veterans of the Civil War. African American, Mexican, and Mexican American cowboys made up about one-third of the 35,000 cowboys in the West. African American cowboys escaped most of the discrimination in the postwar era. Mexican ranch hands were known as vaqueros. They also often encountered discrimination.

Life on the Trail Moving cattle from Texas to the rail lines in Missouri and Kansas posed a major problem for cattle ranchers.

Life on the Trail To reach the rail lines, cowboys herded as many as 3,000 cattle on long drives. They covered hundreds of miles and lasted several months. Over the years, cowboys herded about 4 million cattle from Texas to Kansas.

Life on the Trail Managing the herd on a drive was a tough job. River crossings were dangerous. The worst danger was a stampede. Any unexpected sound could panic the cattle.

Cattle Towns Every long drive ended at a railhead – a town located along a railroad – where brokers bought cattle to ship east on railroad cars. These towns became known as cattle towns.

Cattle Towns Early cattle towns were quite small. Those that attracted enough business grew larger. Cowboys were paid at the end of the drive, and they often visited gambling halls and saloons to spend their money.

Cattle Towns Some cattle towns attracted businesspeople, doctors, lawyers, and their families. The towns then built schools and established police forces.

Question 2 How did cattle drives affect the development of towns and cities in the West?

Ranching As the U.S. government converted more American Indian territory into public land, cattle ranching spread west. The government allowed cattle ranching to use public land as open range, or free grazing land. This access to free land helped to make ranching profitable.

Ranch Profits It was mainly large investment companies that took advantage of the free land. Financed by eastern and European investors, these companies created huge ranches.

Ranch Profits Many bought ranch rights – or water rights to ponds and rivers. Ranchers could then prevent other ranchers and farmers from coming onto their property and using the scarce water.

Ranch Life Ranches were often far apart, and the life could be lonely. During the spring and fall, ranch life centered on the roundup. The cattle were driven from the open range to a central location where they were separated by each rancher’s brand. They were then taken on the drives to the railheads.

Question 3 What was life on a ranch like?

The End of the Cattle Boom The cattle boom lasted about 20 years. Several factors led to its end.

The End of the Cattle Boom 1) Ranchers eager for profits crowded the open range with too many cattle. Prices crashed in 1885 as supply far exceeded demand.

The End of the Cattle Boom 2) Ranchers faced increased competition for use of the open range. In 1874 Joseph Glidden patented barbed wire for fencing. Farmers used it to control access to land and water.

The End of the Cattle Boom Some farmers and small ranchers responded by cutting the fences and moving onto the land or stealing cattle, leading to range wars. The end of the open range meant that ranchers had to buy their own land, and some large ranching corporations went broke.

The End of the Cattle Boom 3) Bad weather was the final blow to the open range. On the southern Plains in 1885-1886 there was a severe winter followed by a drought. There were severe blizzards on the northern Plains the following year. Some ranchers lost up to 90% of their herds to starvation and the freezing temperatures.

The End of the Cattle Boom Ranchers learned from their experiences. They raised hay to feed their cattle in the winter.

Question 4 How did barbed wire hasten the end of the cattle boom?