[ 6.2 ] Cattle Kingdoms and Open Ranges

[ 6.2 ] Cattle Kingdoms and Open Ranges

Learning Objectives

• Identify how the cattle industry developed from Spanish beginnings.• Compare the myths and realities of cowboy life on the cattle trails.• Describe the development of big ranches in Texas.• Explain how Texas land policies affected the open range.• Explain the factors that led to the end of the open range in Texas.

[ 6.2 ] Cattle Kingdoms and Open Ranges

Key Terms

• vaqueros• lariats• quarantine• Drovers• remuda• mustang• open range• internal improvements• enclosures• felony• strike

Spanish Beginnings

Today, people around the world think of cattle when they think of Texas—and vice versa. There is a good reason for this: cattle play a major role in Texas history. Along with railroads and cotton, cattle helped define an important period in the history of the state.

Spanish Beginnings

• Early Cattle Ranchers• The Cattle Industry Profits After the Civil War

Spanish Beginnings

Texas longhorns, named for the wide span across their horns, are a mix of English and Spanish breeds of cattle. Hypothesize Why did this breed of cattle likely develop in Texas and not elsewhere?

Spanish Beginnings

Analyze Information What caused a rise in the number of cattle raised in Texas during the late 1800s?

The Great Cattle Trails

The Northern demand for beef led to the rise of the cattle trails. A cattle drive began with a roundup, which took place in the spring when grass was green. Cowboys then drove the herds north to towns with rail stations. The cattle were then sent by rail to the Northern states, where they would be slaughtered for meat. Ranchers could make big profits moving a herd to market.

The Great Cattle Trails

• Large Herds Create Conflict• Well-Known Trails Throughout the West• Life on the Trail• Myths and Realities of the Cowboy Way of Life

The Great Cattle Trails

Analyze Information Why were steers probably worth so much more in Chicago than in Texas?

The Great Cattle Trails

Analyze Maps Large ranchers began building fences to enclose their lands in the late 1800s. How would this action have affected cattle drives along the trails shown here?

The Great Cattle Trails

Cowboys drove cattle across miles of land to reach towns with rail centers, such as Abilene, Kansas. Analyze Visuals Based on this photograph, what hardships did cowboys face on the trail?

The Expanding Influence of Ranches

By the late 1870s, land and cattle companies owned over half the land in West Texas. Ranchers soon enclosed nearly all the rangeland in South and Southwest Texas. This brought an end to the big cattle drives.

The Expanding Influence of Ranches

• Kenedy, King, and Goodnight• Ranching in West Texas—The Open Range

The Expanding Influence of Ranches

Richard King’s King Ranch, one of the largest in the state, eventually grew to cover more than one million acres of West Texas rangeland.

The Expanding Influence of Ranches

Analyze Maps About how many square miles did the XIT Ranch cover?

The Demise of the Open Range

Ranching on the open range worked well, but not for long. Several factors ended the open range in Texas. A key factor was the expansion of railroads in the state. Closely related to this were the state’s land policies, population growth, and the spread of farming. It is important to understand how these factors changed ranching on the open range.

The Demise of the Open Range

• Texas Promotes Growth• Land and Cattle Companies• Barbed Wire Divides the Open Range• Increasing Conflict Over Land Use

The Demise of the Open Range

Railroad companies used posters like this one to urge viewers to settle in Texas. Interpret What does this poster suggest the benefits of settling in Texas are?

The Cattle Industry Evolves Over Time

The end of the open range was just one reason for the end of the great cattle drives. The expansion of railroads into Texas also made the cattle drives unnecessary. Ranchers now used the railroads to move their animals to market. Concern over a deadly disease, Texas fever, made drives even more difficult. Armed ranchers sometimes patrolled the trails, determined to prevent sick cattle from infecting their herds. In 1885, Kansans barred all Texas cattle from their state.

The Cattle Industry Evolves Over Time

• Changes in the Cowboy Way of Life• The Big Die-Up• Modern Ranching

The Cattle Industry Evolves Over Time

Analyze Data How did changing longhorn prices likely contribute to changes in ranching methods?

The Cattle Industry Evolves Over Time

Drift fences prevented cattle from escaping the blizzards that struck Texas in 1885 and 1886.

Quiz: Spanish Beginnings

What characteristic made Texas good for raising cattle?

A. its locaton near the Gulf of MexicoB. its participation in the Civil WarC. its well-developed rail connectionsD. its open, grassy plains

Quiz: The Great Cattle Trails

Which phrase best describes real life for cowboys riding the cattle trails?

A. exciting and changeableB. boring and dirtyC. dangerous and life-threateningD. easy and fun-filled

Quiz: The Expanding Influence of Ranches

In which part of Texas was the open range?

A. Blackland PrairieB. South TexasC. West TexasD. coastal plains

Quiz: The Demise of the Open Range

Which development caused the end of the open range?

A. barbed wireB. growth of large ranchesC. increased settlement near railroadsD. government system of internal improvements

Quiz: The Cattle Industry Evolves Over Time

Which geographic factor contributed to the Big Die-Up?

A. floodB. heat waveC. blizzardD. earthquake