· After the Civil War, growing cities in the East increased their demand for beef.
· Texas ranchers began to drive herds of longhorns hundreds of miles north to the railroads, where they were shipped east.
Example) Chisholm Trail
Cowhand – responsible for driving the cattle north to the railroads
· Cowhands learned their trade from Spanish vaqueros.
Cowhand's gear: lariat, chaps, wide-brimmed hat
· Cowhands had to worry about stampedes, cattle thieves, and the dry, hot weather.
· Cow towns developed near the railroads, offering cowhands hotels, saloons, and restaurants.
· Cattle roamed free on the plains.
· Ranchers rounded them up twice a year and branded newborn calves.
* The spread of farming, as well as harsh weather, destroyed the cattle boom by 1887.
