Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) prohibited further Chinese immigration Ranching Civil War – TX is cut off from CSA 5 million heads of cattle roam freely TX cattle business – easy to enter FREE CATTLE! Ranchers Kill off the buffalo Railroads RR starts in Kansas (Cow towns) RR goes to KC, St. Louis, Chicago Steers bought for $5 / head and sold for up to $80 / head Refrigerated railcars made it even cheaper. Cattle Drives RR didn’t go into TX Cowboys drove cattle to Kansas 1 cowboy per 300-500 cattle up to 1,500 miles to Kansas $30 per month, paid in 1 lump sum End of Cattle Drives 1880s overgrazing destroyed the grass 1885-1886 blizzard and drought (90% of cattle die) Farming Homestead Act of 1862 160 acres is yours after 5 years 500,000 Homestead families 2.5 million families had to buy land from the RR
Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) prohibited further Chinese immigration Ranching Civil War – TX is cut off from CSA 5 million heads of cattle roam freely TX cattle business – easy to enter FREE CATTLE! Ranchers Kill off the buffalo Railroads RR starts in Kansas (Cow towns) RR goes to KC, St. Louis, Chicago Steers bought for $5 / head and sold for up to $80 / head Refrigerated railcars made it even cheaper. Cattle Drives RR didn’t go into TX Cowboys drove cattle to Kansas 1 cowboy per 300-500 cattle up to 1,500 miles to Kansas $30 per month, paid in 1 lump sum End of Cattle Drives 1880s overgrazing destroyed the grass 1885-1886 blizzard and drought (90% of cattle die) Farming Homestead Act of 1862 160 acres is yours after 5 years 500,000 Homestead families 2.5 million families had to buy land from the RR