SS5 The student will describe how life changed in America at the turn of the century
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- Cattle Trails in the Late 19 th Century
- The Black Cowboys of Texas
- The Great Western Cattle Trail
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SS5H3. The student will describe how life changed in America at the turn of the century. Describe the role of the cattle trails in the late 19th century; include the Black Cowboys of Texas, the Great Western Cattle Trail, and the Chisholm Trail. Describe the impact on American life of the Wright brothers (flight), George Washington Carver (science), Alexander Graham Bell (communication), and Thomas Edison (electricity). Explain how William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt expanded America’s role in the world; include the Spanish-American War and the building of the Panama Canal. Describe the reasons people emigrated to the United States, from where they emigrated, and where they settled. Describe the impact of westward expansion on Native Americans; include the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the relocation of Native Americans to reservations. Cattle Trails in the Late 19th Century Union and Confederate troops had scoffed down majority of the beef supply east of the Mississippi River during the years of the American Civil War. Pork was once the staple source of meat in diets, but people had begun to desire beef. As a result, the demand for beef increased in eastern markets and would go for as much as $50 a head when supply was available. With this increasing demand, the need for cowboys to drive Texas cattle north to the nearest train depot also increased. The once considered “cattle-poor” ranchers of Texas took advantage of this opportunity and began to turn profits by herding their cattle to eastern markets. Following the years after the American Civil War from 1866 to 1896, cowboys drove millions of heads of cattle north and east from Texas. 
The Black Cowboys of Texas The years following the Civil War proved to be a tumultuous period for former slaves along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Racial tensions flared, which yielded few labor opportunities. Nearly 8,000 black cowboys rode westward in to the nation’s heartland to tend to cattle trails. On the trails, both white and black men shared the same risks, including harsh weather, stampedes, snakes, and altercations with bandits and Native Americans. In cattle driving and ranch work, skill counted more than skin color giving black cowboys an opportunity to be judged by his abilities and performance. On the cattle drive, these cowboys worked tirelessly and completed the most difficult tasks including bronco busting, extra night watch, and breaking in outlaw horses. Their white counterparts 
recognized the force of muscle, endurance and steadiness that black cowboys brought to a drive. The most notable black cowboys include: Bill Pickett (pictured above), Charley Willis, Nat Love, Bronco Sam, Bose Ikard, and Isom Dart. http://blackcowboys.com/main/ http://dnn.epcc.edu/nwlibrary/borderlands/21_black_cowboys.htm http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ranchhouse/pop_blackcowboy.html http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/arb01 The Great Western Cattle Trail In 1874, Captain John T. Lytle and several cowboys departed South Texas with 3,500 head of longhorn cattle and a herd of saddle to travel along The Great Western Cattle Trail. The Great Western Cattle Trail originated out of the prairie to Ft. Robinson, Nebraska, and became most significant as it was longer in length and transported cattle for two years longer than the Chisholm Trail. The Trail saw over seven million cattle and horses pass through Texas and Oklahoma to rail stations in Kansas and Nebraska, and even as far north as Wyoming and Montana. The usual herd would travel approximately 10 to 12 miles each day and included 3,000 head of cattle, 11 drivers, a wrangler, and a cook. The drive from South Texas to Kansas took on average two months and cost nearly $1,000 in wages and supplies. Drivers were paid $1.50 to $6.00 a head in South Texas and sold as high as $28 - $30 in Kansas. Doan’s Crossing, commonly referred to as “the jumping off place,” was established in 1878. This location marked the final stop for correspondence and supplies before herds entered Native American country. Traffic on the Great Western Cattle Trail began to wane in 1885 with the introduction of barbed wire and laws prohibiting the transport Texas cattle because of "Texas Fever," a parasitic disease caused by ticks. In 1893, the last considerable cattle drive along the Great Western Cattle Trail crossed the Red River in route to Deadwood, 
South Dakota. http://greatwesterntrail.net/ http://rebelcherokee.labdiva.com/cattletrail.html Download 0.67 Mb. Share with your friends:
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