Cotton, Cattle, and Railroads - Texas History

Which European countries sent explorers during the Age of Contact that set foot in Texas?

• Germany and Spain

• Spain and France

• France and Italy

• Italy and England

In 1867, several leaders of the Plains Indian tribes met with U.S. officials and signed a treaty to end the conflict between Indians and Anglo settlers. It was called the –

• Indian-Anglo Treaty

• Treaty to End Hostilities

• Settlement Treaty

• Treaty of Medicine Lodge Creek

Who is described in the box?

• Quanah Parker

• Chief Santana

• Ten Bears

• Thundering Cloud

What does General Sheridan propose as part of his strategy for defeating the Plains Indians?

• pay the Indians to leave their hunting grounds and live on reservations

• hire soldiers from other countries to join the army in their fight against the Indians

• destroy the herds of buffalo, which was a source of the Indians’ food and supplies

• none of these answers are correct

What group, originally established by Stephen F. Austin and used by Sam Houston to protect the Texas frontier, has been utilized as a special police force and military unit over the years? [hint: they were highly skilled horsemen who were experts at marksmanship and tracking]

• the Buffalo Soldiers

• the U.S. Army

• the Texas Rangers

• the Mustangs

How did cattle first get to Texas?

• they were here long before the first people got here

• Spanish explorers brought them as a source of food

• they came down from Canada in large herds

• Santa Anna’s Mexican army rode on them like horses

What was the purpose of the cattle drives?

• to move diseased cattle out of Texas before the sickness spread

• to move cattle north to where the railroads were expanding across the U.S.

• to move herds of wild cattle to places where cowboys could tame them

• to move cattle south to where most of the people in Texas lived

What was barbed wire most often used for?

• It was used as a weapon, often swung like a rope or lasso

• It was used in women’s fashion, but only on the most expensive dresses

• It was used as fencing, to keep animals in or out of certain areas

• It was used in a new sport called “Barbed Wire Ball”, which was painful but fun

How did the expanding railroads affect the economy of Texas?

• Moving supplies faster, and in greater amounts, helped the economy of Texas

• The railroads were incredibly expensive to build, and ended up hurting the economy

• Beyond the noise and smoke, railroads didn’t really affect the economy at all

• None of these answers are correct

Which region of Texas had the most railroad track?

• Mountains and Basins

• North Central Plains

• Great Plains

• Coastal Plains