lone star: the story of texas chapter 14 farming and ranching in the late 1800s copyright © 2003 by...

Lone Star: The Story of TexasLone Star: The Story of Texas

Chapter 14Farming and Ranching

in the Late 1800s

Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

Lone Star: The Story of TexasLone Star: The Story of Texas

Section 1: The End of the Open Range in Texas

Section 2: Railroads, Ranches, and Farms

Section 3: From Family Farms to Commercial Farming

Section 4: Agricultural Products of Texas

Chapter 14: Farming and Ranching in the Late 1800s

Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

The End of the Open RangeThe End of the Open Range

• How did Texas land policies affect the open range?

• What events led to the range wars of the late 1800s?

• What changes did ranchers make in the way they raised cattle after the Big Die-Up?

Chapter 14, Section 1


Ranching on the Open RangeRanching on the Open Range

• The first West Texas ranchers owned little or no land. Their cattle grazed on the open range. The open range was undeveloped public land held by the state government for future sale.

• Since there were no fences, cattle from several ranches often intermingled. To identify their own cattle, ranchers branded the animals.

• Ranchers on the open range considered the water and grass to be resources that everyone could share.

Changes on the Open RangeChanges on the Open Range

Land Policies

Range wars

Land and cattle companies

• In the 1850s, the state government began offering free public land to encourage internal improvements. Those are changes that help boost the economy and population.

• Railroads received almost 90 percent of this land.

• Open-range ranchers began to buy up land right away, before someone else did.

• Huge privately owned ranches soon developed.

• Ranchers began fencing in their land in the 1880s. • Conflicts between ranchers and sheepherders

worsened. • A range war developed over fences and fence

cutting.


An End and a BeginningAn End and a Beginning

Changes For Cowboys• Cowboys found fewer jobs.

There were now fewer long trail drives or open-range roundups.

• Cowboys’ new responsibilities included setting fence posts and stringing barbed wire.

• In 1883, Texas Rangers broke a strike by Panhandle cowboys. A strike is a work stoppage to force an employer to meet certain demands.

The Big Die-Up• In 1885, thousands of cattle

froze to death trying to flee a huge blizzard. They were trapped by drift fences that ranchers had put up to keep infected cattle away from the healthy herds.

• The Big Die-Up nearly wiped out the herds in the Panhandle. It also marked the start of the modern ranching industry in Texas.


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The End of the Open Range-AssessmentThe End of the Open Range-Assessment

What caused the death of the cattle in the Big Die-Up?(A) They froze to death.(B) They starved to death.(C) They were slaughtered for food. (D) They died from disease.

What is a strike designed to do?(A) Drive up the cost of production(B) Temporarily end work so workers can get a rest(C) Force an employer to meet certain demands(D) Create a friendly work atmosphere


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Railroads, Ranches, and FarmsRailroads, Ranches, and Farms

• How did the railroads affect the cattle drives?

• How did the railroads change farming in Texas?

• What other effects did railroads have on the Texas economy?


Railroads Change RanchingRailroads Change Ranching

The building of rail lines in Texas changed the cattle business.

The building of rail lines in Texas changed the cattle business.

Nearly all of the early rail lines linked Houston to nearby towns.

Nearly all of the early rail lines linked Houston to nearby towns.

In 1873, the Texas rail system linked to the nationwide rail network. Ranchers began shipping their cattle by rail.

In 1873, the Texas rail system linked to the nationwide rail network. Ranchers began shipping their cattle by rail.

By the 1890s, Fort Worth had become a collection point for Texas cattle.

By the 1890s, Fort Worth had become a collection point for Texas cattle.


Railroads Change FarmingRailroads Change Farming

• Commercial agriculture- the growing of crops for sale to make a profit

• Texas farmers used the railroad to ship surplus crops to market. Railroads also brought seeds, plows, and other supplies.

• Railroads allowed people to begin farming the land in West Texas. Growing crops in that dry region required water conservation.

• Railroads showed Texas farmers the power of machines. They began using machines to help plant and harvest their crops.


Railroads Affect the EconomyRailroads Affect the Economy

• Railroads put Texans in contact with more distant markets quickly and cheaply.

• Towns did what they could to convince railroads to lay tracks in their area:• Cash incentives• Donated sites

• The growth of the railroad in Texas spurred other businesses:• Lumber for bridges, stations, rail ties, and platforms• Food service for railway workers• Coal to power the trains




Railroads, Ranches, and Farms - AssessmentRailroads, Ranches, and Farms - Assessment

How did the railroad help commercial agriculture?(A) Railroads brought in more seeds, plows, and other supplies.(B) Farmers could ship surplus crops to market.(C) Both of the above(D) None of the above

How did towns convince railroads to lay track in their areas?(A) They donated sites and gave cash incentives to railroads.(B) They allowed the railroads to rename the towns.(C) They used lawyers to strong-arm the railroad companies.(D) Town governments took the railroads to court to force them to

build tracks through their towns.




From Family Farms to Commercial FarmingFrom Family Farms to Commercial Farming

• What encouraged people to move to Texas?

• What factors made it hard for tenant farmers to prosper?

• What hardships affected Texas farmers in the late 1800s?


Farming and GrowthFarming and Growth

• Texas ran ads and placed articles in southern newspapers to attract settlers to Texas in the mid- to late 1800s.

• Most new settlers during this time were farmers. Some arranged with local farmers to work their land and became tenant farmers. Others bought public land from the state or from the railroads.

• Tenant farmer - a person who rents a plot of land from its owner and pays for its use with a share of the crop


Changes in Texas FarmingChanges in Texas Farming

The Cycle of DebtTenant farmers almost always planted cotton. They had to buy food, often on credit. The farmer had to pay interest, which is additional money paid to a lender for the use of the money borrowed. This made it difficult for tenant farmers to break the cycle of debt.

Supply and DemandFor tenant farmers to succeed, the price of cotton had to be high and the amount of cotton produced had to be great. Because of the principle of supply and demand, these two conditions rarely happened together.


Farming New LandsFarming New Lands

• Much of West Texas could not support farming without irrigation. Irrigation brings water to land by artificial means.

• Railroads wanted to sell land and lure settlers to West Texas. They hid the truth about the dry conditions in West Texas from settlers. They said that West Texas was simply “less humid” than other areas.

• The U.S suffered three economic depressions between 1870 and 1890. A depression is a period during which business activity and prices drop and many workers lose their jobs.

• Crop prices and demand for cash crops fell. Thousands of farms failed.

• By 1900, half of all the farmers in Texas were tenant farmers.


Farmers Help ThemselvesFarmers Help Themselves

The Grange• The National Grange was a farmers’ organization. It helped

farmers share knowledge about the latest farming techniques.

• It also set up stores where farmers could purchase goods at a lower cost.

• A branch of the National Grange formed in Texas in 1873.• The Grangers worked to improve many aspects of life for

farming families, including education. They helped create an agricultural college in Texas in 1876. Grangers also called for the regulation of railroads.

• During hard times in the 1880s, many Texas farmers left the Grange and joined the Texas Farmers’ Alliance.




From Family Farms to Commercial Farming-AssessmentFrom Family Farms to Commercial Farming-Assessment

Which statement about tenant farmers is false?(A) Tenant farmers did not own their land; they rented it.(B) Tenant farmers received wages for their labor. (C) Tenant farmers provided their own tools and supplies.(D) Many freedmen became tenant farmers.

What happens when demand is high and supply is low?(A) Prices go down.(B) Prices stay the same.(C) Prices fluctuate.(D) Prices go up.



Agricultural Products of TexasAgricultural Products of Texas

• How did machinery and other technology change cotton farming?

• What effect did immigrants have on the Texas wool industry?


Agricultural Products of TexasAgricultural Products of Texas

Product

Cotton

Cottonseed Oil

Uses

The cotton gin removed the seeds from the cotton. Cotton was used to make cloth and thread.

This was oil made from the seeds left after the cotton was ginned. This oil was used in the production of margarine and vegetable oil.

Corn Early Texans used corn for food, corncobs for fuel and tool handles, and corn husks for mattress stuffing and writing paper. Corn became a major source of food for Texans and their livestock in the late 1800s.


Swine, Sheep, and GoatsSwine, Sheep, and Goats

• Hog raising - Texas ranked fourth in the country in hog production in the late 1800s.

• Sheep ranching and the wool industry - Newspaper publisher George Wilkins Kendall used his paper to turn the emphasis of sheep raising from meat to wool production in the 1850s. The Civil War helped boost demand for wool.

• Goat ranching - Many sheep ranchers also raised goats. By 1900, Texas led the nation in mohair production.


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Agricultural Products of Texas-AssessmentAgricultural Products of Texas-Assessment

What was the function of the cotton gin?(A) It spun the raw cotton into thread.(B) It removed the seeds from the cotton.(C) It planted cotton seeds evenly in rows.(D) It extracted oil from the seeds for use in margarine production.

Which crop in Texas became a major source of food for people and livestock?

(A) Tomatoes(B) Wheat(C) Cottonseed oil(D) Corn



lone star: the story of texas chapter 14 farming and ranching in the late 1800s copyright © 2003 by...

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