Transcript The Cattle Kingdom

The Cattle Kingdom
By Mrs. White
Longhorns
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Brought by Spaniards
in 1500’s
Horns may be 6 ft.
wide
Run fast
1700’s and 1800’s:
• Herds grew
• American and Mexican
settlers began
ranches in South
Texas
• Longhorns used to
start herds
Longhorn Pics
Early Texas Ranchers
 King
Ranch is best known
 Begun by Richard King
 Became larger than the
state of Rhode Island
 Near Corpus Christi
Rise of Cattle Business
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BEFORE CIVIL WAR
• Millions of
longhorns in Texas
• Sold for only $4
each
• Ranchers raised
cattle for leather
and for tallow, or
fat, which was used
in candles and soap
http://www.westegg.com/inflation/
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AFTER CIVIL WAR
• Northern cities
wanted beef
• Price of longhorns
rose from $4 to $40
• Northern cities
made cattle
ranchers more
money
• Cattle drives began
• One trail used was
Chisolm Trail to
Abilene, Kansas
Famous Women
Ranchers
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Margarita Villareal
Florencia Bonavide
Paula Rodriguez,
Lizzie Johnson Williams
Margaret Heferman
Borland
Could own land,
but could not vote!!
Cowhands/Cowboys
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Drove the cattle north to
Kansas
1/4 were Mexican or African
American
Began with spring roundup cattle branded
Long drive began - took
about three months
Moved cattle 15 miles a day
Leader was trail boss
Had to be ready for
stampedes
End of the Cattle
Kingdom
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The end began when farmers began
sharing the plain and fencing their land.
Ranchers began fencing their land, too.
Fences:
• Before 1870 - rocks or wood
• 1873 - Joseph Glidden of Illinois - sold barbed
wire - a twisted wire with sharp points
• Led to fighting
• Made long drives harder
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Drives ended when railroads were built
into Texas