Cotton and Railroads

Types of Farming• Before RR: Subsistence

Farming- farming to feed your family

• After RR: Commercial Farming- producing crops for sale

• By 1900’s goods could be shipped to anyplace in US from TX

• B/C of RR- COTTON was highest money crop

King COTTON• By late 1880’s Cotton very successful• Sometimes bad crops though:• Bad weather• Boll Weevil- pest that destroyed 90% of

cotton in 1849

James “Jim” Hogg• Served as TX attorney

general and Gov.• Argued that some businesses

(inc RR) not respecting TX law.

• Est. the Texas Railroad Commission

• This protected citizens from unfair practices by RR

Technology revolutionizes Farming

• Railroads• Steel Plow• Windmill• Cotton Gin- Eli

Whitney invented that separated seeds from cotton

• Robert Munger- took the Gin and perfected it by creating “system ginning”

• Now faster and cheaper

Recap:

Cotton Productio

n

Promoted more

manufacturing

Helped w/ invention of better tech.

Attracted immigrants

to TX

Contributed growth to towns and

cities