11.2: Mining and Ranching

During the gold rushes of the late 1800s, which of the following difficulties did miners face? SELECT TWO (2)

• the risk of explosion due to high pressure in the rocks

• the threat of being trapped in complete darkness

• low pay due to high supply of lone prospectors

• extremely cold temperatures in the mines

• lack of water in the mines

Which of the following was true of underground mining during the late 1800s?

• It was dominated by large companies

• it was less dangerous than surface mining

• Most underground miners were lone prospectors

• Most underground mining was done with inexpensive equipment.

Why was the town of Abilene, Kansas important to the cattle industry?

• It became a shipping yard for cattle because trails and railroads came together there.

• It contained many stockyards, which allowed ranchers to send cattle to the

• It was where farmers blockaded cattle and prevented them from being sold.

• It was the largest meatpacking center in the Great Plains.

Which of the following was true of a long drive of cattle?

• It was free of danger

• It usually lasted for about three months

• There were more cowboys than cattle on it

• The cowboys branded the cattle during the overland transport.

Which of the following led to a decrease in the price of beef and helped to end the open range?

• a surplus of cattle

• a surplus of grazing land

• an increase in demand for beef

• an increase in the occurrence of "Texas Fever"

_______ were happy with the end of the open range because free-roaming cattle cost them money by damaging their crops and animals.

What invention gave farmers a new way to protect their fields and allowed rancers to enclose their grazing lands, putting an end to open-range cattle ranching?