Mining Ranching and Farming l Along with the

Mining, Ranching, and Farming l Along with the US army, miners, ranchers, and farmers played an important role in settling the Plains

Western Mining l l l Where was the first gold rush? California The middle of the country had even more

Western Mining l l l Nevada – Comstock Lode Colorado – Denver area (Denver Nuggets) Dakotas – Homestake Mine (richest ever)

Early mining methods – shallow pan and water

Western Mining l Placer Mining

Western Mining l l l Once the surface mining was complete, large corporations would come in a drill for gold underground People worked in mines – dangerous Chinese were brought in to some of the work

The Cattle Boom l l l Where did Americans learn their cattle ranching methods? From Mexicans Where did the cattle come from? Spanish colonies What was the most famous? Texas Longhorn

The Cattle Boom

The Cattle Boom l l Why did Americans switch from pork to beef? Cattle which was worth $3 - $6 became worth $40 - $80 a head!

The Cattle Boom l l What was necessary to have a lot of cattle ranches? Land

Destruction of the Buffalo l l l It became necessary to remove the NA and the buffalo – need for land What happened to the buffalo? Hunted to near extinction Furs popular, hides = good machine belts, hunting = fun and easy From $30 million to less than 1000 in ten years!

Destruction of the Buffalo l How did this impact NA?

Cow Towns l l l What was a cow town? Place to bring cattle and put them on the railroad Sometimes lawless What ended up happening to most cow towns? farmers settled them – became real towns

The Cowboys l l l What was the Chisholm trail? Went from San Antonio to Nebraska cow towns Went through Fort Worth (near Dallas – Dallas Cowboys) Must cross the Red River – dangerous! Pass through Native American territory – dangerous!

The Cowboys l l l Why were the Cowboys American heros? What kind of men became cowboys? Describe a day in the life of a cowboy What was the Cowboys greatest fear? What were some of the hardships they faced?

The Cowboys l l l What ended the Cowboys era after only 20 years? Barbed wire Why do you think they remain iconic today?

The Cattle Barons l l What made you a cattle baron? Why did the cattle bonanza end?

Farming the Plains - Hardships l l l What was a dugout? What was a soddie? What might happen to their crops? Bugs, snakes? Why was it so difficult for some homesteaders to stay in business? Crop prices What happened to many homesteaders?

Families Pull Together l l What did men primarily do? What did women primarily do? What made women so lonely? What jobs might children do?

New Technology l l What were some of the dry farming techniques? What are some of the ways that farming improved in the late 19 th century?

Farming Becomes Big Business l l l What was a bonanza farm? What happened if they produced too much of one cash crop? In the end, the farmers wont the prairie (the Plains), outlasting the cowboys and the cattle barons.

Frontier Myths l l l Quick, what comes to mind when I say “the Wild West” Was really that wild? Yes, but not for long

Frontier Myths l l l By the 1870 s – 1880 s, much of the west had been “tamed” In 1890, the government declared that there was no more frontier No more free western land

Frederick Jackson Turner l What is Turner’s Thesis? l With the person sitting next to you, write a brief summary of how the West, or the frontier helped to shape the American identity?

Heroes of the West l l Inspiring, almost mythical characters Deadwood Dick – Nat King Buffalo Bill “Wild” Bill Hickok, “Calamity” Jane

What the West Meant l l l Justice Good over evil Individual improvement (rugged individualism) Toughness Frugality Freedom