Cowboys and Cattle Trails

• -What was the role of the cattle trails in the late 19th century?

• -Who were the Black Cowboys of Texas?• -What were the Great Western Cattle Trail and the

Chisholm Trail?

Lots of Cattle

• After the Civil War, Texas cattle farmers’ herds had grown while they were away at war.

• So they had a huge supply of cattle.• Luckily, there was a growing demand for beef in

the east.

Supply and Demand

How does Supply and Demand work?

High demand • Most all the cattle in the East and

South went to feed the armies during the Civil War. After the war there was not an abundant amount of cattle left in the East. Easterners wanted (high demand for) beef.

• Since there was a lot of cattle in Texas it was pretty cheap there. Cattle sold for about $4 each in Texas, but nearly $40 each in the Northern and Eastern United States.

• Low supply leads to higher prices, and as a result, the ranchers worked very hard to get the cattle supply to the people who were willing to pay the most.

Can you think of any modern examples of supply and demand

affecting prices?

• Modern examples of items that are brought into Georgia for consumers.

• Consider how prices are affected by the supply and the demand for the item. – Fresh produce at the grocery store is a good

example of this concept.

ONE BIG PROBLEM

• How do you get the cattle from Texas to the markets in the east?

A GREAT IDEA• Joseph McCoy, a young cattle shipper from

Illinois, came up the the idea.• Herd the cattle north through Texas and Indian

Territory (now Oklahoma) and meet up with the railroads in Kansas.

The Chisholm Trail

• The first cattle trail began in 1867 from the Red River in northern Texas to Abilene, Kansas called the CHISHOLM TRAIL

• Jesse Chisholm– Part – Cherokee– Trader who made a wagon

trail along the route

Historians estimate 6 million cattle traveled the Chisholm Trail from 1867 – 1880s.

The Great Western Cattle Trail

From Texas to Nebraska

Became the main road for markets in the north

Think About It

Today we don’t need to ship live cattle to cities all over the country.

What makes things different today?

Trail Life

• What was life like on the trail?– Disease– Indian attacks– Dead or dying cattle along the side of the trail

The Black Cowboys

• After the Civil War, many freed slaves moved to Texas to work on the ranches

• Black and white cowboys lived together

• There was still discrimination, but not as much as other places

• The Black Cowboys proved their worth and even showed off their skills in rodeos by riding bulls and bucking broncos

The Old West

• This is the time period we think of as the old west.

• It lasted from 1880s to 1900. ONLY 20 YEARS!• It is one of the most memorable parts of

American History

Technology Rocks

By the end of the 1800s (early 1900s)

• Railroads - expanded through out the west and eliminated the need for long cattle drives

• Electricity – factories had power for machines and lights• Telephones – business could communicate quickly and easily• New methods of making steel – factories could make

engines, tools, machines and railroad tracks.• The Sewing Machine – start of massive clothing industry• Refrigeration – meat could be stored and shipped across the

country• Automobile – easier travel for business and pleasure• Interchangeable parts, assembly lines, mass production

– everything is made more quickly

Your presentations1. the Wright brothers, 2. George Washington Carver, 3. Alexander Graham Bell, 4. Thomas Edison, 5. William McKinley, 6. Theodore Roosevelt,7. Louis Armstrong, 8. Langston Hughes, 9. Babe Ruth, 10.Henry Ford, 11.Charles Lindbergh, 12.Duke Ellington, 13.Margaret Mitchell, or 14.Jesse Owens.