Chapter 5 Part 2 The Miners and The Ranchers

The Miners Mining was the first economic boom of the West Impact on Native Americans and treaties Began in California at Sutter’s Mill when James Marshall found gold in 1848 Led to the 49ers and statehood for Ca.

1859 The Comstock Lode Nevada The largest concentration of silver ever found in the U.S. The Ophen Mine Source of the Hearst money

Other Boom Towns Virginia City Leadville Deadwood Abilene Dirty, overcrowding, inflation, entrepreneurial women, lawlessness

Shady Characters and crime Wild Bill Hickok Deadwood Dick Calamity Jane Vigilante committees

Techniques Panning Sluicing Digging

Dangers Other miners Native Americans The heat underground Cave-ins More Americans died in mining accidents than were killed in Indian wars.

The Ranchers Ranching was the second economic boom of the West As the numbers of Buffalo decreased, the numbers of cattle and horses increased on the Plains

The Spanish Had brought their cattle, horses and techniques from Spain and introduced the Longhorn steer to the dry grasslands of Texas The Vaqueros (Spaniards and then Mexicans) introduced American ranchers to caring for large herds.

The Vaqueros Introduced roping, driving, special clothing and vocabulary At first, spurs were worn on bare feet! Chaparreras: leather overalls (chaps) Charque: jerky Bronco: wild horse Mestinos: mustangs (wild strays)

Also from the Spanish Rancho, Corral, Rodeo

The Cowboy Has been romanticized A tough life years old Slept outside Terrible food Drives were 3 Months long!...called the long drive

The Cowboy 12% Mexican 25% African American Most did not own the horses they rode…just the saddle Worked for a boss Danger of drowning when crossing rivers Lightening was also an issue (piled spurs and other metal items just outside of camp)

In the 1840’s Some drove cattle to California through Indian territory or the Great Desert Received anywhere from $25 to $125 a head Then sent on RR to New York and there was a stampede!

The Chicago Stockyards As cities grew so did the demand for beef After 1865 Cattle were driven along the Chisholm trail to RR hubs which took the cattle to Chicago stockyards to be slaughtered

Joe McCoy Drew up plans for shippng yards in several towns where trails and rails would come together Farmers had become upset over ruined crops during cattle drives

The Chisholm Trail Was the major cattle route…tho- there were others Chisholm Trail went from San Antonio (Tx) to Oklahoma, Kansas where the RRs took the steer to Chicago

Cowboys Worked 10 to 14 hours daily on the ranch and 14 and more hours daily on the range One cowboy for 250 head of cattle Trail Boss paid $100 per month He supervised the drive and dealt with settlers and Native Americans

By 1887 The era of the Cowboy was over Mostly due to the invention of barbed wire in 1874 (by Glidden) Within two decades the open range was increasingly fenced-in ranches

wild West Shows Part of the Romance of the West Buffalo Bill Cody Wild Bill Hickok Annie Oakley Calamity Jane Even Sitting Bull Roping, Riding, Shooting exhibitions