Miners, Ranchers, & Cowhands

Growth in the West 1860-1900

Chapter 19, Section 1

Essential Questions:

• Is the success or failure of a country related to that country’s geography? Will certain countries always be successful? Will certain countries always be cursed?

• How did the geography of the West promote economic opportunities for settlers? Why did people move out West?

• What is the geography of the Great Plains Region of the U.S.?

• What are the dangers of vigilante justice?

The Frontier (1860)

The Great Plains:• Area of the United

States from Missouri River/Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains

• Settler Were NOTNOT Attracted to the Great Plains

• Rolling Plains, Dry Plateaus, Deserts

Impact of the Railroads:

• Railroads Brought Natural Resources (Minerals, Timber, Crops, Cattle) from the West to Eastern Factories & Markets

• Trains Brought Miners, Ranchers & Farmers Out West

Railroads’ Impact on Native Americans?

Silver & Gold Rush:Colorado & Nevada

• Over 100,000 Miners Rushed Out to Pikes Peak, CO in Search of Gold

• Miners Rushed Out to Comstock Lode, NV in Search of Silver & Gold

Boomtowns

• A Town that has a Sudden Burst of Economic or Population Growth

• San Francisco, Denver, (Gold Rush)

• Was Valhalla a Boomtown?

More Gold Strikes!

• 1874 – Gold Strike in Black Hills, SD

• 1891 – Gold Strike at Cripple Creek, CO

• 1896 – Gold Strike in Yukon Territory (Canada)

• Hopeful Miners Came From All Over the World:– Europe– South America– Mexico– China

Early Miners: Panning & Sluicing

• Most Miners Never Found Gold & Went Broke!

• Early Miners Panned & Sluiced:– Very Ineffective!

• Most Miners Sold their Land to Large, Rich, Mining Companies!

Large Mining Companies

• Large Mining Companies Bought Miners Lands:– REAL CHEAP Because

they Went BROKE!

• Companies Had the $$$ to Buy Drilling Equipment!

• Used Water Cannons, Dynamite, Drilled Underground Shafts (Tunnels to Drill in the Mountains)

Mining: A Tough Life• Companies Owned

the Mines – NOTNOT the Workers!

• Miners Had a Tough Life(Still Do Today)– Poor Pay– Deadly Cave Ins– Breath in Dust– Lung Problems

New States From Mining:

• 3 States Were Added to the Union:–Nevada–Colorado–South

Dakota

Rise of the Cattle Industry

• Extension of Railroad Lines into the Frontier Helped Bring Cattle to the East

• Beef was VERY Expensive in the East! WhyWhy?

The “Man with the Plan!”• Joseph McCoy was an

Illinois Livestock Dealer – Lived Outside Chicago

• Realized Railroads Could Bring Beef to the East (MORE $$$)

• Just Had to Get Cattle from Texas to a Town with a Railroad

• Hired Cowhands & Vaqueros for the Long Drives

Joseph McCoy & The Long Drives

• Joseph McCoy Started the Long Drives:– Bought Cattle in Texas,

Let them Feed on the Frontier (No Cost)

– Hired Cowhands & Vaqueros to Take them North to Abilene, KA

– Cattle was Sold for 10x10x More, Processed, Put on Trains, & Brought to the East

• Beef/Leather/Belts/ Shoes/Jackets/Etc…

YouTube Long Drives

Vaqueros (Cowboys)• Vaqueros Were the 1st

Ever Cowboys/ Cowhands

• They Taught American Cowboys How to Rope & Ride Cattle

• Brought Cattle North on the Long Drives

• 1 Out of 3 Vaqueros Were Either Mexican or African Americans (Former Slaves)

The Wild, Wild West• In Your Own Words?

• On the Frontier & In Developing Towns, NONO Government! No Police Officers

• A lot of Drinking/ Gambling/ Stealing

• Billy the Kid

Vigilantes• For Protection,

Citizens Formed Vigilantes

• Took the Law into Their Own Hands!

• Usually Hangings or Shootings on the Spot!

• What’s Wrong with this?

Reasons Why the Cattle Industry Collapsed• Too Much BEEF!

– Prices Dropped from $30 to $7

• Barbed Wire! – Settlers Fenced in Their

Lands (Cattle Had Nothing to Eat & Can’t Get to the Railroad Towns)

• Bad Winter on the Plains (1886-1887)– Thousands of Cattle

Died – Ranchers Went Out of Business

Essential Questions:

• Is the success or failure of a country related to that country’s geography? Will certain countries always be successful? Will certain countries always be cursed?

• How did the geography of the West promote economic opportunities for settlers? Why did people move out West?

• What is the geography of the Great Plains Region of the U.S.?

• What are the dangers of vigilante justice?