Cattle Ranching Flashcards
(37 cards)
When cattle ranching first began, who owned and ran most ranches?
Mexican Cowboys called vaquros
What did the Texan ranchers do in 1836?
Drove the Mexican ranchers out, and claimed left behind cattle
Why did numbers of cattle increase drastically between 1861 and 1865?
Texan ranchers left to fight in the Civil War, so cattle roamed free and huge herds grew
At the end of the civil war, what did the Texan ranchers do with their cattle?
Round them up and drove them to sell in places such as California and New Orleans
When did cattle ranching first begin and where?
1820s in Texas
Who pioneered a trail to Denver, Colorado to sell cattle to gold miners?
Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving, the Goodnight- Loving Trail
Who set up Abeline and how did you get there?
Joseph McCoy, the Chisholm Trail
Who first set up an Open Range ranch, where and when?
John Illif, Wyoming 1867
Who pioneered a second trail to Denver after the Goodnight-Loving Trail?
John Illif
Who invented the Crazy Quilt and what did it mean?
Charles Goodnight, if he bought small patches of land here and there he could effectively control all of it
By 1885 how many cattle barons owned how much land, and how many cattle?
35 cattle barons owned 8 million hectares and perhaps 1.5 million cattle
When did the open range end?
1885-1890
Why did the open range end?
Ranchers had over grazed the Plains, and cattle prices dropped due to overstocking
There was a drought in 1886 and a storm in January 1887 and half the cattle died in a single year
Homesteaders also began fencing off their land with barbed wire
How did Charles Goodnight increase his and other ranchers profits?
By breeding the Texas Long Horn with British Herefords, he could breed heavier cattle that were still tough enough to survive on the Plains
Who were the majority of cow boys?
Black ex-slaves
What did Cowboys do in winter?
Stay on the ranch or lived in line camps, taking daily rides to stop cattle drifting into the open plain
What did cowboys do in spring?
They went big riding to haul out mired cows, and went on the round up
What did cowboys do in summer?
Went on the long drives to cow towns such as Dodge City and Abeline
How were Cowboys’ lives similar to Native Americans?
They were entirely dependent on the natural products of the Plains
They moved around a lot
They cared for cattle
Their food and clothing was derived from cattle
They developed a system of long range signals
How was life difficult for Cowboys?
Freezing cold winters on the ranch, danger of death(drowning and being trampled), harsh weather conditions, threats of attack from Indians and rustlers
What was the job of the trail boss?
Person in charge of the drive
What is a wrangler?
Cowboy who cares for the horses
What did the cowboy riding drag have to do?
Chases stragglers
What was the job of the chuck wagon?
Act as the cook
