Farming Inventions and Railroads Lesson 3 pg 303

Farming, Inventions, and Railroads Lesson 3 pg. 303 -307

A Tough People • These people made homes out of dirt and burned cow and buffalo chips for fuel. • Began to find solutions for many problems they faced.

Problem #1 • Farmers needed to fence in their land so that their cattle wouldn’t wander around and destroy their crops. • Solution: Barbed Wire – 1874 – Introduced by Joseph Glidden – Had sharp points that taught cattle not to break through. – Created a whole new industry: Barb Fence Company

Problem #2 • Water was scarce on the Great Plains • Solution: Dry Farming – Method for irrigating fields – Small ditches were dug on each side of a row of plants to collect rain – After rainfall, farmers quickly turned over the soil to move wet soil closer to the roots of plants.

Problem #3 • Farmers faced the problem of rock-hard soil • Solution: Bessemer Process – Steel-bladed plow – Mechanized grain drill – Thresher

Railroads • By 1893 five transcontinental railroads had been completed. • Important to economic development • Helped lure many people to the West • Created many jobs – Lay tracks – Worked in mills producing steel • Opened up markets for products – Lumber – Minerals – Stoves, clothing, furniture

Not everyone was a winner • Native Americans fought and lost many battles to keep their land • Millions of buffalo were killed by settlers • New industries killed off old ones – Barbed wire put an end to the open range • Railroad meant the end of the stagecoach and wagons

Now it’s your turn. . . • Answer each question.

Question 1 • How did farmers solve the problem of protecting their crops from wandering cattle? • Answer: with barbed wire fences • Points: 5

Question 2 • Name 3 types of farm machinery that made planting and harvesting crops in hard soil easier. • Answer: steel-bladed plow, mechanized grain drill, thresher • Points: 15

Question 3 • How did farmers solve the problem of scarce water for their crops? • Answer: dry-farming • Points: 10

Question 4 • How did steel making and railroads contribute to the development of the West? • Answer: created jobs, supported new technology and inventions • Points: 15

Question 5 • Where did the Native Americans have to move when the settlers kicked them off of their land? • Answer: reservations • Points: 5

Question 6 • What were 3 advantages of living in a sod house? • Answer: cool in summer, warm in winter, fireproof • Points: 10

Question 7 • What were two disadvantages of living in a sod house? • Answer: Dirty, animals get in, rain makes everything muddy • Points: 10

Question 8 • What were three frontiers in the settlement of the West? • Answer: ranching, farming, mining • Points: 5

Question 9 • What was a cowboy’s main job? • Answer: rounding up cattle and driving them to railroad centers • Points: 10

Question 10 • Name two ways that gold-seekers traveled to California. • Answer: overland by wagon, clipper ship or sailing • Points: 10