1. Cattle and Mining booms
U.S. History a
Cattle and Mining booms

2. Ranching in the West
Earliest ranchers were Spaniards who imported cattle from Spain in the 1500s
Texans had produced a new breed by the 1850s –Texas longhorn
Longhorns were hardy, able to travel long distances on little water, could live year-round on grass, and were immune to Texas fever
To reach the railroads, cowboys herded as many as 3,000 cattle on long drives
Trail usually ended in Kansas because Missouri cattle were not immune to Texas fever

3. On a typical drive, a trail boss managed a crew of about 10 cowboys
Cook rode in front of the herds in a chuck wagon and carried food and bedrolls
River crossings, where swift currents might drown hundreds of animals, proved dangerous
Worst danger was a stampede (usually caused by an unexpected sound such as thunder, a coyote, or a sneeze)

4. Cattle Towns Every long drive ended at a railhead
Kansas towns of Abilene, Dodge City, and Wichita were among the best-known railhead stops
Towns consisted of little more than a general store, a hotel, a railroad depot, and a stockyard
Cowboys were paid at the end of a drive
Many quickly wasted their money

5. End of the Cattle Boom Cattle boom lasted about 20 years
Ranchers crowded the open range with too many cattle
Ranchers faced competition to use the open range (Joseph Glidden patents barbed wire)
Bad weather (droughts and blizzards)

6. Western Mining
Miners raced across the continent hoping to be the first to strike it rich
First promising mining discoveries after the California Gold Rush took place in Colorado
Prospectors found gold near Pikes Peak in 1858
Comstock Lode, one of the world’s richest silver veins, was found in present-day Nevada in 1859

7. Some miners pushed as far north as British Columbia in the late 1850s
Russia offered to sell Alaska to the United States because of all the American miners moving north
U.S. Secretary of State William Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska in 1867
The price for Alaska came out to less than two cents per acre
Became known as “Seward’s Folly”

8. In 1896 prospectors discovered gold in the Klondike district of Canada’s Yukon territory, which bordered Alaska
Gold discoveries in Alaska attracted more settlers
Mining camps sprang up overnight wherever news of possible wealth brought prospectors together
Most camps consisted of entirely male residents

9. Western mining camps were some of the most violent places in the U. S
Western mining camps were some of the most violent places in the U.S. during the late 1800s
Deadwood, South Dakota gained a reputation as a particularly rough town
Deadwood became the final resting place of lawman Wild Bill Hickok
Wild Bill loved to play poker and always sat in the corner, so no one could sneak up behind him

10. Hickok came into play one day and someone was in his seat
Hickok came into play one day and someone was in his seat. The man refused to move but Hickok wanted to gamble, so he took a seat that was not in the corner.
Jack McCall, who believed Hickok had killed his brother, walked up behind Hickok, put his revolver to the back of his head, and killed Hickok instantly
Hickok was holding a pair of aces and a pair of eights, which thereafter became known as the “dead man’s hand”

11. Absence of law enforcement sometimes led people in mining camps to form vigilante committees to combat theft and violence
Vigilante committees often used violence to resolve the community’s problems, hanging the accused after a quick trial
Stability came to the mining camps as they grew into towns
Owners of saloons and stores had a better chance of striking it rich than miners