As American as the cowboy seems today, his way of life stemmed directly from that of those first Spanish ranchers in Mexico. The cowboy's clothes, food, and vocabulary were heavily influenced by the Mexican Vaquero, who was the first to wear spurs, which he attached with straps to his bare feet and used to control his horse.
Cowboys were not in great demand until the railroads reached the Great Plains. Ranchers in Illinois would hire cowboys to drive their cattle through the Chisholm Trail to Abilene, Kansas (Cow Town). Within a few years, the Chisholm Trail had worn wide and deep. Main Ideas:Section 1:
The cattle industry boomed in the late 1800s, as the culture of the Plains Indians declined. Section 2: Settlers on the Great Plains transformed the land despite great hardships. Section 3: Farmers united to address their economic problems, givings rise to the Populist movement. Important People:Section 1:
Colonel George A. Custer- reported that the Black Hills has gold "from the grass roots down," a gold rush on. Sitting Bull- (Tatanka Iyotanka) leader of the Hunkpapa Sioux, had never signed it. Although the Ogala and Brule Sioux did sign the treaty, they expected to continue using their traditional hunting grounds. Section 3: Oliver Hudson Kelley- started the Patrons of Husbandry, an organization for farmers that became popularly known as Grange. Its original purpose was to provide a social outlet and an educational forum for isolated farm families. By 1870s, they spent most of their time fighting the railroads. William McKinley- Republicans nominated him for president in the 1896 election. William Jennings Bryan- editor of the Omaha World-Herald. delivered an impassioned address to the assembled delegates. Battles:Section 1:
Battle of Wounded Knee- On December 28, 1890, the Seventh Cavalry rounded up about 350 starving and freezing Sioux and took them to a camp at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. The next day, the soldiers demanded that the Native Americans give up all their weapons. A shot was fired from, but no one was sure from which side. The soldiers opened fire with deadly cannon. The Cavalry slaughtered as many as 300 mostly unarmed Native Americans, including children. They left the bodies to freeze on the ground. |
Important Terms:Section 1:
Great Plains- the grassland extending through the west-central portion of the United States Longhorns- were sturdy, short-tempered breeds accustomed to the dry grasslands of southern Spain. Spanish settlers raised longhorns for food and brought horses to use as work animals and for transportation. Assimilation- a plan under which Native Americans would give up their beliefs and way of life and become part of the white culture Chisholm Trail- the major cattle route from San Antonio, Texas, through Oklahoma to Kansas. Long Drive- overland transport of the animals often lasted about three months. A typical drive included one cowboy for every 250 to 300 head of cattle; a cook who also drove the chuck wagon and set up camp; and a wrangler who cared for the extra horses. A trail boss earned $100 or more a month for supervising the drive and negotiating with settlers and Native Americans. Section 2: Exodusters- African American who moved from the post-Reconstruction South to Kansas Soddy- a sod home, was warm in winter and cool in summer. Soddies were small, however, and offered little light or air. They were havens for snakes, insects, and other pests. Although they were fireproof, they leaked continuously when it rained. Bonanza Farms- enormous single-crop spreads of 15,000-50,000 acres. The Cass-Cheney-Dalrymple farm near Cassleton North Dakota, for example, covered 24 square miles. Section 3: Grange- Started by Oliver Hudson Kelley, was originally called the Patrons of Husbandry, Its original purpose was to provide a social outlet and an educational forum for isolated farm families. Farmers' Alliance- Grange gave way to this organization, these groups included many others who sympathized with farmers. Alliances sent lectures from town to town to educate people about topics such as lower interest rates on loans and government control over railroads and banks. Populism- the movement of the people-was born with the founding of the Populist, or People's, Party, in 1892. Bimetallism- a monetary system in which the government would give citizens either gold or silver in exchange for paper currency or checks Gold Standard- backing dollars solely with gold Treaties, Acts, and More:Section 1:
Treaty of Fort Laramie- in which the Sioux agreed to live on a reservation along the Missouri River, was forced on the leaders of the Sioux in 1868. Dawes Act- aiming to "Americanize" the Native Americans. The act broke up the reservations and gave some of the reservation land to individual Native Americans- 160 acres to each head of household and 80 acres to each unmarried adult. The government would sell the remainder of the reservations to settlers, and the resulting income would be used by Native Americans to buy farm implements. Section 2: Homestead Act- offering 160 acres of land free to any citizen or intended citizen who was head of the household. From 1862 to 1900, up to 600,000 families took advantage of the government's offer. Morrill Act- gave federal land to the states to help finance agricultural colleges, and the Hatch Act of 1887 established agricultural experiment stations to inform farmers of new developments. |
"Gold! Some struck it rich- some struck out. Between the Civil War and the turn of the century, deposits of the precious yellow metal were discovered in scattered sites from the Black Hills of South Dakota and Cripple Creek, Colorado, to Nome, Alaska. The dream of riches lured hundreds of thousands of prospectors into territories that were previously inhabited only by native peoples. The fortune seekers came from all walks: grizzled veterans from the California gold rush of 1849, youths seeking adventure, middle-class professional, and even some families.
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