Cattle Drives/Cattle Industry

Texas History - Unit 8 Review

Cattle Drives/Cattle Industry:

·  Began in Texas in the 1860s continued until the early 1900s when the building of railroads signaled the end of the cattle trails

·  After the Civil War the demand for beef in the Northeast helped spur the rapid growth of the cattle industry and helped bring new wealth to Texas

·  New trails were added to help move the cattle from Texas to stockyards in the Midwest

·  Ranching became a productive industry in West Texas as the land was much more suited to it than farming (because of the lack of water/rainfall)

·  Stampedes were the greatest dangers on the cattle drives as they threatened the livestock (cows and horses) as well as the cowboys

·  The introduction of barbed wire signaled the end of cattle drives and the open range

Native Americans:

·  After the Civil War white settlers continued to move west onto Native American lands

·  Many wars were fought from the 1860s-1900 between white settlers and Native Americans – the white settlers demanded that the government protect them

·  The Buffalo Soldiers (name was given to them by the Native Americans because the former slave’s hair reminded them of the buffalos) were sent to the frontier to protect the white settlers

·  The governments response was to move Native Americans onto reservations

Farming:

·  Cotton production in Texas began before the Civil War and was a vital part of our economy through the early 19th century

·  Most cotton was grown in east Texas (Gulf Coastal Plains REGION) where the climate and soil was best suited for successful production

·  Texas commercial farming really grew when the railroads allowed for the shipment of crops across the nation

·  Windmills – used in dry climates (West Texas) to irrigate crops with underground water sources

Westward Expansion:

·  When the Native Americans were removed it opened up the frontier for white settlers

·  The transcontinental railroad allowed families to move westward

·  New cities sprang up along the railroads

·  Numerous inventions allowed people to move into regions previously not suited to farming or ranching

Important Individuals:

·  Quanah Parker – son of a white woman who was taken as a captive by the Comanche; last free chief of the Comanche who roamed West Texas; worked to help the Native Americans assimilate into the white man’s world

·  James Hogg – governor of Texas; was the common man’s governor; fought for the rights of rural citizens after the state began to industrialize; created the Railroad Commission to help protect Texans from unfair practices

Immigration:

·  Germans – came to Texas for the cheap land and settled in Central Texas

·  Hispanics – settled in many parts of Texas and began working in the cattle industry early on; they also helped shape our culture in Texas by introducing food and architecture

Range Wars:

·  Were fought between farmers and ranchers over: water rights; barbed wire; and the sheep industry

·  Farmers were upset as the herds along the cattle trails often trampled their crops

Definitions:

·  Irrigation – system of delivering water to crops

·  Quinceanera – celebration of Mexican-American teenage girls

·  Human Factors – how we change our environment to continue progression