The Homesteaders-What was the attraction of the pl
Some moved to the west to escape from poverty or religious persecution
Letters home encouraged more and more people to follow onto hte plains
People were attracted by the various articles in the newspapers and magazines which portrayed amazing imahes of the west
The plains were obviously habitable, this had already been proved by both the Indians and the early settlers such as the mountain men and trappers
The railway companies were anxious to attract settlers-they needed to sell the land to finance the railrodes
The Homesteaders Act 1862- this gave away land free of charge as long as you built a house on the land and lived there for 5 years. Each plot was 160 acres in size
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The Homesteaders-Life on the plains-the problems
lack of water and very hard earth
shortage of building materials
Extremes of wether- scorching hot summers and freezing winters
prairie fires and plagues- these could both destroy crops in no time at all
protecting the crops- especially against the cattle trails
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The Homesteaders-Life on the plains-the solutions
New crops- they grew harder types of wheat such as Turkey Red Wheat which could survive the harsh conditions better
Better machinery- stronger ploughs were built that would churn the earth
Fencing the land- this protected it is against any wild animals
Wimdpumps- these provided water to the land and homesteaders
Dry farming- this was a method by which they conserved the water in the soil through ploughing soon after heavy rain
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