Making of america settlement of the plains 1861-1877 Flashcards
(15 cards)
When did Abraham Lincoln approve the pacific railroad act?
1862
What did the pacific railroad act promise?
To provide money to companies willing to build a railroad connecting the east and west of the country
What were the two companies and what did they connect?
Union pacific built from the east towards the west
Central Pacific built from the west towards the east
When was the line completed?
1869, by which time both companies owned more land than the whole state of texas
Give three impacts that railroads had on the USA?
Railroads made railroad companies very wealthy
The railroads cut through native American lands and disrupted buffalo hunting grounds. They also encouraged more settlers and cattle ranchers to settle on Native american lands on the plains
New towns were created on railroad lines. Many of these were violent, drunken and unruly . However, towns soon grew and law and order improved. The first railroad inspired building of other lines across the west. By the 1880s, the journey across the USA could be made in days instead of months
Thousands of workers were needed to build the lines. Over 12,000 workers were Chinese immigrants. They received little pay and worked in dangerous conditions
In what ways did the cattle industry grow thanks to railroads?
Some people realised that they could make money by driving the cattle to railroad stops and then selling the beef to cities or Indian agents
In 1866, Charles Goodnight and Oliver loving made $24,000 by selling 2000 cattle. They hired 18 cowboys to help them make their journey
What sort of cattle were taken on the long drives?
Texas Longhorns
Name a cow town
Abilene in kansas
What was a cow town?
Located on railroad lines. They became places where cattle was bought and sold.
Cowboys could rest and spent their wages at cow towns
Early cow towns were violent and drunken places but by the 1870s many of them had developed their own laws and hired sheriffs
Name a cattle rancher
John Illiff, who bought his cattle from charles goodnight
What was a cattle ranch?
Located on the plains. They were set up so that cattle did not have to be driven all the way from Texas
- Overgrazing became a problem because cattle ranches needed a lot of grass and water
Give 4 reasons as to why people moved to the plains
The homestead act offered people 160 acres of land free for five years
Cheap land could be bought on the plains
The 1860s were an unusually good period for rain on the plains
Railroads allowed people to sell farmed good to cities more easily
Give three difficulties experienced by homesteaders on the plains
A lack of clean water meant that diseases like cholera and typhoid were common
There were few trees on the plains so building houses was difficult
Families often lived miles from the nearest town. People became lonely and felt isolated
Why were the plains a hostile and difficult environment to farm in?
- The plains were very open, meant that harsh winds could destroy crops
- In the summer, the extreme heat could cause fires on the prairie grasses and crops struggled to grow as a result
- Buffalo and wild cattle could trample across farmland and ruin crops
Give three examples of ways that homesteaders survived on the plains
Homesteads were built of sod instead of wood. These houses could be built quickly
Wind pumps were used to harness the prairie wind. They could be drilled into the ground and draw up clean water from deep down.
Barbed wire fencing was a cheap and easy way to enclose a large area of land
