![]() ![]() ![]() Ranching continued to be widespread through the late 1800s. Cattle were sold to northern markets for as much as $40 per head. The expansion of the meat-packing industry also encouraged consumption of beef.īy 1866, millions of heads of longhorn cattle were rounded up and driven toward railroad depots. Barbed Wireīy the time the Civil War ended in 1865, the Union Army had largely used up the supply of beef in the North, increasing the demand for beef. It took between eight and 12 cowboys to move 3,000 head of cattle along cattle drives. To distinguish what cattle belonged to which ranch, cowboys would brand the animals by burning a special mark into their hides. In the mid-1800s, the United States built railroads that reached further west, and cowboys played a central part in the nation’s “ Manifest Destiny” as Westward expansion led to an ever-shifting frontier.Ĭowboys herded and rounded up livestock that were transported by rail around the country for sale. When the California missions started in 1769, livestock practices were introduced to more areas in the West.ĭuring the early 1800s, many English-speaking settlers migrated to the West and adopted aspects of the vaquero culture, including their clothing style and cattle-driving methods.Ĭowboys came from diverse backgrounds and included African-Americans, Native Americans, Mexicans and settlers from the eastern United States and Europe. Vaqueros were hired by ranchers to tend to the livestock and were known for their superior roping, riding and herding skills.īy the early 1700s, ranching made its way to present-day Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and as far south as Argentina. Mexico’s native cowboys were called vaqueros, which comes from the Spanish word vaca (cow). Horses were imported from Spain and put to work on the ranches. In 1519, shortly after the Spanish arrived in the Americas, they began to build ranches to raise cattle and other livestock.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |