1. Chapter 17 Section 3
The Cattle Kingdom

2. Vocab ~Open range- unfenced land, p. 590
~Cattle drive- the herding and moving of cattle, p. 590
~Persist- to endure; to continue in the face of difficulty, p. 591
~Vaquero- the Spanish word for cowhand, or cowboy, p. 592
~Cow town- settlement at the end of a cattle trail, p. 592
~Myth- story or legend; imaginary, invented story, p. 593
~Cattle kingdom- the region dominated by the cattle industry and its ranches, trails, and cow towns came to be known as the cattle kingdom, p. 593

3. The Rise of the Cattle Industry
~For years longhorns, called that because of their long horns, wandered the open range.
~Originally they were strays lost by Spanish ranchers.
~In the 1860s, when railroads were crossing the west, people saw the cows as a source of income.

4. The Rise of the Cattle Industry (2)
~Ranchers in Texas hired cowhands to round up the wild cattle.
~Their destinations were rail lines in Kansas, Missouri, and Wyoming, 1,000 miles away
~The herding of the cattle was called a cattle drive, and they were so grueling that some cowhand brought enough horses that a fresh one was available each day

5. The Rise of the Cattle Industry (3)
~Some of the more used trails, carrying as many as 600,000 cattle each year on drives that lasted 2-3 months were:
-Chisholm trail, which ran from Austin to Abilene
-Goodnight-loving trail, which ran from Texas to Wyoming.

6. Cattle Trails This picture shows cattle trails such as the
Western trail and
the Chisholm
trail.

7. Life on the Trail
~Cattle drives were long and dangerous, forcing cowhands to develop nerves of steak.
~A couple of the primary dangers were:
-Thieves, swamps, and fires.
-A river washing cattle away.
-Cattle stampedes caused by lightning.
~For all the work, cowhands got less than $1 for a 18 hour day.
~Like in mining, cattle ranching relied on low-paid laborers

8. Life on the Trail (2)
~For all the work, cowhands got less than $1 for a 18 hour day.
~Like in mining, cattle ranching relied on low-paid laborers.
~ Even though the work was hard and the pay was low, cowhands persisted in doing the job.

9. Spanish Roots
~the original cowhands were Spanish and Mexican vaqueros.
~When other people started rounding up cattle, the vaqueros taught them how to ride, rope, and brand the cows.
~Many of the cowhand’s tools have names similar to their spanish roots:
-Saddle/Silla de montar
-Spurs/espoloñes

10. Spanish Roots (2) -lasso/lazo
~The origins of the cowboy hat came from the Mexican sombrero.
~Nearly one third of cowhands were Mexican.

11. The Wild West
~ Illinois businessman Joseph McCoy founded Abilene, Kansas in 1867 where the Kansa Pacific Railroad met Chisholm Trail
~ McCoy thought that cowboys would want a hot meal and a bath after long months on the trail

12. The Wild West (2) ~ Wichita and Dodge City also sprang up near Abilene
~ Cow Towns had dance halls, saloons, hotels, and restaurants

13. The Wild West (3)
~ Due to the rough life in cow towns many people began believing that the West was a very wild place
~ “Buffalo Bill” is a prime example of the “Wild West”

14. The Wild West (4)
~ Buffalo Bill started a traveling wild west show in 1883 the show consisted plays depicting events of the “Wild West” such as Custer’s Last Stand
~Annie Oakley performed also and proved she could shoot very well

15. The Wild West (5)
~ There was some basis of fact of the myth of the Wild West
~ But the West was quickly changing Natives were being forced onto reservations and it was becoming more civilized

16. Boom and Bust in the Cattle Kingdom
~ The cattle boom spanned from the 1860s to the 1880s
~ In those two decades herds and markets grew increasing ranchers income, but then the industry collapsed

17. Boom and Bust in the Cattle Kingdom (2)
~ When the cattle boom reached its peak calves could be bought for $5 and steers sold for $60
~ Ranchers made a lot of money even after expenses for the drives

18. Boom and Bust in the Cattle Kingdom (3)
~ As new breeds of cattle were introduced that produced more meat and contracted less disease profits skyrocketed
~ One company had 800 square miles of ranches in three states

19. Boom and Bust in the Cattle Kingdom(4)
~ More than 7 million cattle were roaming the open range in the mid-1880s
~ Starting in 1886 and 1887 there was a cycle of blazing summers and freezing winters that killed millions of cattle

20. Boom and Bust in the Cattle Kingdom (5)
~ There was an economic depression that put many out of work
~ Beef demand began to drop when the depression hit

21. Boom and Bust in the Cattle Kingdom (6)
~ Sheep began competing against cattle for Prairie land
~ Farmers fenced in land to save their crops
~ Many ranchers were forced to buy expensive fed for their cattle

22. Boom and Bust in the Cattle Kingdom(7)
~ Giant ranches soon faded into smaller ranches that could fed their cattle
~ Railroad lines cut onto ranch and open range land limiting ranchers space
~ The cattle kingdom ended as raising cattle became increasingly difficult

23. Bibliography Page http://www.jonathanfeicht.com/cattle-trails.html