Cattle, Cowboys, and Settling the Great Plains 5.1 & 5.2

Settlers Push Westward Great Plains area and beyond Grassland extending through west-central portion of U.S. Lure of gold and silver 1849 – Gold Rush in CA 1858 – discovered in Colorado Culture clash w/ Native Americans N.A. believed land could not be owned Settlers believed rights to land were forfeited b/c they hadn’t settled and “improved” the land

Dawes Act Aimed to “Americanize” Native Americans Broke up reservations Gave some land to individual N.A. Head of household – 160 acres Unmarried adult – 80 acres Remainder sold to settlers $ intended to go to N.A. for farming supplies – didn’t happen 2/3 of N.A. land went to whites Dawes Act

Destruction of Buffalo Buffalo = main source of food, clothing, shelter, fuel for N.A. Buffalo shot for sport by tourists, fur traders 1800 – 65 million buffalo 1890 – less than 1,000

INDIAN USES OF THE BUFFALO Hide - Buckskin moccasin tops cradles winter robes bedding breechclouts shirts leggings lance covers belts dresses pipe bags pouches paint bags pouches dolls coup flag covers quivers tipi covers gun cases Hair headdresses saddle pad filler pillows rope ornaments halters medicine balls Tail medicine switch fly brush lodge exterior decorations whips Hoof & Feet glue rattles Horns cups fire carriers powder horn spoons ladles headdresses signals toys Meat (every part eaten) pemmican (converted) hump ribs-immediately jerky (converted) Skin Of Hind Leg moccasins or boots Rawhide containers clothing headdress food medicine bags shields buckets moccasin soles rattles drums drumsticks splints cinches ropes belts bullets pouches saddles horse masks lance cases armbands quirts bull boats knife cases stirrups thongs horse ornament

Wounded Knee Paiute prophet advised Sioux to perform ritual “Ghost Dance” to restore N.A. way of life Spread among 25,000 Sioux – alarmed U.S. military leaders Ordered arrest of Sitting Bull Bodyguard, Catch-the-Bear, shot one arresting officers Sitting Bull killed in return Chief Big Foot led Sioux away 7th Cavalry slaughtered 300 unarmed N.A. Corpses left to freeze on the ground Ended the era of “Indian Wars”

Cattle Great Plains opened up to cattle ranchers Herded longhorns Sturdy, short-tempered breed from Spain Learned from Mexicans Demand for beef grew Growing cities, railroads transported beef to markets

Chisholm Trail San Antonio, TX to Abilene, KS “Cow Town”

Cowboy Vocabulary Mexican vaquero – Spanish rancher who first wore spurs to control horse Chaparreras – leather overalls / “chaps” Charqui – dried strips of meat / “jerky” Bronco caballo – wild “rough horse” / bronc or bronco Mestenos – mustangs Rancho – ranch Corral and rodeo Mexican vaquero was the true influence of the American cowboy

Cowboy Life Mostly white / 25% A.A. / 12% Mexican Romantic picture riding the open range, herding cattle, fighting villains Reality – nonstop work 10-14 hrs on the ranch, then 14 hrs on the trails Constant awareness of herds Roundup and branding Long drive 3 months, $100/month moving cattle

End of the Open Range Overgrazing Extended bad weather Invention of barbed wire Smaller herds of higher quality meet = more profitable Barbed wire turned open range into fenced in ranches

Land Grants for Railroads 170 million acres worth $500 million to lay track Union Pacific and Central Pacific 10 miles of land for every mile of track 20 miles in territory land Immigrants did most of grueling labor Two companies met in Utah – 1869 First transcontinental railroad completed Railroads sold some land for $10-20

Homestead Act 160 Acres of free land to… Exodusters Any citizen or intended citizen Head of household 600,000 families from 1862-1900 Not all land of equal value – some less farmable Exodusters African Americans who moved from the post-Reconstruction South to Kansas Oklahoma becomes the “Sooner” state

Closing of the Frontier 1872 – Yellowstone National Park Wanted to preserve… “objects new in experience…possessing unlimited grandeur and beauty.” All land in the west bought Uniqueness of America’s “frontier” no longer existed

Morrill Act – 1862/1890 Gave federal land to states to help finance agricultural colleges Hatch Act – 1887 Established agricultural experiment stations Informed farmers of new developments Developed grains for arid soil Dry farming techniques help land retain moisture Enabled dry plains to flourish

Challenge of the Plains Droughts, floods, fires, blizzards, locust plagues, occasional raids by outlaws and Native Americans Homes dugout of small hills Soddy – made of soil Women worked with husbands, but often left alone for extended periods of time Sponsored schools, made clothes, canned vegetables/fruit, skilled in doctoring