Cattlemen and Cowboys Summary

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  • Created by: Lily
  • Created on: 11-03-13 18:20
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  • Cowboys & Cattlemen
    • WHO WERE THEY?
    • STAGES
      • STAGE 1: Cattle Drives 1865 - 1870
        • WHY?   Millions of cattle in Texas. People decided to take these cattle to the Plains = more profit.
          • HOW?     Cattle marched to destinations from Texas along trails (eg. Goodnight Loving Trail).
            • WHAT DID COWBOYS DO?      Herded cattle to places. Branded Cattle. Slept out in open, rode with the cattle = DANGEROUS
            • PROBLEMS?  Homesteaders moving onto Plains = blocked trails = open ranching
      • STAGE 2: Open Ranching
        • WHY?  Homesteaders were blocking trails, so easier to keep cattle on Plains. Development of railways also allowed easy transportation of cattle.
          • COW TOWNS?  Joseph McCoy set up the cow town of Abilene to buy and sell cattle in 1867
            • EXAMPLE?  Goodnight had a ranch of 1 mill acres + 100,000 cattle.
              • WHAT DID COWBOYS DO?           Ride around ranch + stop cattle from being stolen. Branded cattle.
                • PROBLEMS?  Ranch had no fences = cattle stolen or wandered off + disputes over land = closed ranching.
                  • WHY DID IT END?     Drought in 1880s (1883). Too many cattle too feed. Demand for beef fell in the East. Cold Winters in 1886-87 = cattle killed
      • STAGE 3: Closed Ranching
        • WHY?  Stopped cattle from being lost or stolen.
          • CONSEQUENCES?           Ended cowboys career + caused herds kept to be smaller. Concentarted on lower no but better quality cattle. Land fenced off wiht barbed wire.
            • WHAT DID COWBOYS DO?         Fixed fence + stopped cattle rustling.
  • Ranchmen were those who owned the cattle ranches and herds. Cowboys were those who looked after and herded the cattle in the 1869s, 70s, and 80s.
    • WHO WERE THEY?

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