Cattle, Cotton, and Railroads

What happened to Texas' population between 1850-1900?

• increased steadily

• decreased rapidly

• increased rapidly

• stayed the same

What is a Cowboy's opinion about barbed wire fences?

• "I don't care about barbed wire"

• "I don't like barbed wire because it's difficult to package and ship"

• "I don't like barbed wire fences. They limit the open range and block parts of my cattle trail."

• "Barbed wire makes me feel safe on the cattle trail"

What did windmills do for farmers and ranchers in West Texas?

• provide electricity to the region

• created air conditioning for homes

• created wind power to power the farm equipment

• irrigate crops without having access to water

Which invention had the GREATEST impact on settlers in West Texas?

• Steam Engine

• Barbed Wire

• Lightbulb

• Revolver

What happened when Ranchers would pump water out of aquifers to fill tanks to water their cattle herds?

• Their cattle died from drinking saltwater

• natural springs and streams dried up

• the cattle overgrazed the land

• irrigation pipes caused flooding

What was a constant challenge cowboys faced on cattle drives?

• stampedes

• criminals and bullies

• thunderstorms

• Native American attacks

What did the cattle drive boss fear the most?

• storms

• stampedes

• snakes

• bad weather

What is the best way to describe society in Texas from 1860-1900?

• drilling for oil and developing an export economy

• cattle drives and wars with Native Americans

• Women and African Americans fighting for civil rights

• Independence from Mexico and democratic government

Why did cowboys oppose the use of barbed wire?

• limited access to prey

• it was difficult to import

• limited the open range

• was an expensive item to use

What happened after the ending of the Civil War?

• All cattle trails from Texas led to towns in the South East

• ranchers used the trails to bring cattle from other states to Texas

• several cattle trails were added to support the growing cattle industry in Texas

• an increase in settlements encourage Texan ranchers to find new markets for their cattle