Chapter 13 Settling the West Section 1 Miners and Ranchers

Growth of the Mining Industry Industry in East needed the West’s gold, silver, and copper. This brought settlers to the West’s mountain states.

Growth of the Mining Industry Placer Mining – using simple equipment like picks, shovels, and pans to mine shallow deposits of ore by hand.

Growth of the Mining Industry Quartz Mining-Digging deep beneath the surface to mine the deposits of ore

Pulley System used in quartz mining

Construction of dams and bridges to expose riverbeds

The Big Strike in Nevada Henry Comstock – 1859 he staked claim for a silver mine in Six-Mile Canyon, Nevada. Became a boomtown overnight.

Six Mile Canyon, Nevada Several years later, the mines ran out of silver & it became a ghost town.

Crime in Boomtowns Vigilance committees formed to track down & punish wrongdoers.

Other Bonanzas Mining also helped the growth of Colorado, the Dakota Territory, and Montana. It spurred the building of railroads through the Rocky Mtns. Denver became the supply point.

Ranching and Cattle Drives After the Civil War, Americans built large cattle ranches on the Great Plains. The Texas Longhorn was the only breed that could survive the harsh climate of the plains.

Cattle Industry Industry grew in because of the open range – vast areas of grasslands owned by the fed. gov’t. Beef prices soared after the Civil War.

Long Drives 1866 – first long drive across the Great Plains to the railroad in Sedalia, Missouri. Sold for 10x the price at the railroad than in Texas. Major Route was the Chisholm Trail Most cowboys were former Confederate soldiers.

Chisholm Trail – Texas to Abilene, Kansas

Reasons for the end of the long drive Invention of barbed wire. Investors from the East & Britain caused an oversupply of animals. Ranchers went bankrupt. Harsh winters of 1886-1887.

Section 2 Farming the Plains End of Section 1 Section 2 Farming the Plains