The American West Topic Summaries

Ranching and the cattle industry

GCSE > History > WJEC > GCSE History: The American West (1835-1895) > Reconstruction era (1865–1877) > Ranching and the cattle industry
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Key terms
  • The cattle industry expanded rapidly after the Civil War due to high demand for beef in Northern cities. Large herds of cattle were raised on the open ranges of Texas and the Great Plains.
    • Joseph McCoy developed Abilene, Kansas, as the first major cow town and a key cattle-shipping hub connected to the railroad.
    • John Iliff became one of the largest cattle suppliers by providing beef to railroad workers and Native American reservations.
    • Charles Goodnight pioneered major cattle trails and improved longdistance cattle driving techniques.
  • Cowboys were responsible for branding, rearing, and rounding up cattle, as well as mending fences.
    • Cowboys were a diverse workforce of white Americans, African Americans, Mexicans, and Native Americans.
    • They faced dangers from cattle stampedes, wild animals (e.g. wolves, snakes), rustlers (cattle thieves), and attacks from Native American groups in contested areas, though this was less frequent than popular myths suggest.
    • Ranch owners such as Charles Goodnight enforced strict discipline on their ranches, banning drinking, gambling, and weapons.
    • The role of the cowboy declined as open-range ranching ended and ranching became more mechanised and enclosed.
  • The Long Drive: involved moving cattle from Texas ranches to railheads along trails such as the Chisholm Trail.
    • Each cattle-driving outfit had about 3,000 cattle, 1 trail boss in charge, about 12 cowboys who managed the herd, and a few wranglers who looked after spare horses.
    • A chuck wagon accompanied the drive, providing food and basic medical care, with the cook often acting as an informal doctor.
    • They typically slept outdoors around a campfire, taking turns to guard the herd to prevent stampedes and theft.
  • Cow towns:
    • Upon arriving at a cow town, cattle would be placed in stockyards for inspection and sale. 
    • Cowboys often spent their earnings on gambling, new gear, and entertainment, and were frequently left with little or no money.
  • The Plains Method: from 1870, ranching shifted from long-distance drives to the Plains Method. This involved cattle being raised closer to railheads on large Plains ranches. This greatly reduced journey times from months (i.e. Texas to the railroad) to about 35 days (Plains Ranch to the railhead). However, it meant cowboys lived in more isolated cabins where they spent harsh winters alone with deep snow trapping them and their cattle.
  • Rivalry between ranchers and homesteaders: ranchers needed large areas for open-range grazing, and federal law allowed anyone raising livestock to claim public land. Thus, ranchers would try to block homesteaders by filing their own claims, fencing off access to public land, and purchasing railroad land.
    • Homesteaders argued that ranchers should fence their land to keep cattle in so that they didn’t roam on their claimed land.
    • Ranchers argued that homesteaders should fence their land to keep cattle out, because cattle had the right to roam.
    • Disputes were often settled in court.
    • The introduction of barbed wire allowed land to be fenced cheaply and effectively. Fencing ended the practice of open grazing and reduced cattle movement.
    • Ranching became more commercial, regulated, and reliant on enclosed land.

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