Farming & Ranching Lifestyle in Republic of Texas

Farming & Ranching Lifestyle in Republic of Texas

How it impacted the economy and slavery of the Republic

Essential Questions

• How do people adapt and modify to their environment?

• What influences the formation of a new government?

Open Ended

What is one way people modify or adapt to their environment?

Vocabulary

• subsistence crop

• cash crop

• squatter

Two Types of Farming

• Small Family Farms

• Plantation Farming

Open Ended

What do you think the difference is between Small Family Farms and Plantations?

Small Family Farms

• Consisted of about 120-160 acres of land

• Used the land for mostly SUBSISTENCE CROPS- These are crops that are used to feed the family living on the homestead.

• Most common foods were corn and sweet potatoes

Small Family Farm cont..

• Would raise some animals: oxen, cattle, horses, goats, hogs, and chickens

• Would set aside small bits of acreage for CASHCROPS- Crops grown to sell and make a profit

• Major Cash Crops: COTTON and SUGAR CANE

Multiple Choice

What is the difference between Subsistence Crops and Cash Crops

• One dealt with feeding the Homestead while the other was for making money

• One was for making substances and the other for making cash

• One the whole family worked on and the other only the head of the Homestead worked on

• One was for the animals to eat and the other was for the humans to eat

Plantation Farming

• Over 200 acres

• Focused primarily on growing CASH CROPS

• Used Slaves as free labor

Cotton is King

• Largest Cash Crop in Texas

  
  

• Been grown in Texas by the Native Americans, then by the Spanish, then by the Texans

• Many of the settlers came from Southern States and were familiar with growing it

• Most plantations that grew cotton were located along the lower Brazos, Colorado, and Trinity RIvers

Sugarcane is next

• 2nd Largest Cash Crop in Texas

• Largest producing area was Brazoria

Multiple Choice

What was the major CASH CROP of Texas?

• Sugarcane

• Corn

• Cotton

• Sweet Potato

Ranching

• Cattle

• Sheep and Goats

Sheep and Goat Ranching

• Originally raised by the Spanish for their meat

• Anglo Settlers used them for producing wool that they sold

Cattle Ranching

• Influenced by the Vaqueros

  -copied Spanish styles of saddles and equipment, as well as herding and roping methods,

• Many uses

  -Used for food, sold for cash, or traded for other goods

• New Breed of cattle became popular: The Texas Longhorn

Squatters

• Grazed their herds on lands they did not own and moved on to new grazing land as needed

• Benefitted Texas by helping to settle land not otherwise taken.

• Producing successful ranchers who would one day pay taxes.

Slavery in Texas

• Originally brought in by Anglo Settlers

• Outlawed by Mexico in 1829 (Didn't stop it)

• Protected Under the Texas Constitution of 1836

• 1836: 5,000 SLaves

  1845: 20,000 Slaves

Slavery Cont..

• Slavery allowed the agricultural economy to develop during the republic and in the early years of statehood.

•  slave labor helped to bring about a 600 percent increase in cotton production

• dependence on agriculture built on slavery may have prevented Texas from developing more modern industries.

Open Ended

Why was Slavery so important to Texas?