Devin S
Boles
History of the American West
18 October, 2011
In the 1800's, the western half of current day America was unmapped, untamed, and ripe for the picking. It was in the 1850's that farmers in the East saw this land as a perfect place for them to go and live a new, yet slightly similar life. But farmers were not the only ones who went out west to live, others who thought the life of a rancher was for them went too. Whether they failed or not, when they got out there, they were in for a surprise. Some got to the good land first and were able to live in the beautiful, fertile lands that were perfect for farming and cattle raising. Other, however, got there too late, and were forced to live on top of the unfertile lands that were left over.
One of these successful ranchers, Margaret Heffernan Borland, was actually one of the successful women who went out west to escape the stereotypes of Eastern America. On the year she died, 1873, she owned more than 10,000 cattle in her ranch in Texas. She is said to be the only woman who was known to lead cattle in the west in the 1800’s.
Ranchers in the west had many conflicts and troubles while living in the west. Not only were there issue like extreme weather and extreme heat or cold, but there was also conflicts revolving around animals. This included wild animals killing off livestock, attacking the ranchers, and just destroying things in general. Other, more human problems, included fights over land, cattle, and property. One example of this issue was the Pleasant valley war, between the cattle-herding Grahams and the sheep-herding Tewksburys. The fighting lasted about ten years, and the most deadly fights were in 1886 and 1887, and the last known death was in 1892. Also, one of the biggest issues that ranchers would have in the west would be just getting there. The land was still quite unmapped, and getting there in the first place could be the biggest threat to fortune seekers, since there were no routes that had been explored and mapped, mountains to climb over or around, and native territory that had to be passed through. However, if someone was able to survive the trip, claim their piece of land, and had the skills to survive, a happy and wealthy life would soon follow.
The ranchers of the American west displayed the American peoples want to settle the newly explored and unsettled western world that had opened up to them. Also it shows how they wanted to use the land in the 1800’s. In the early 1800’s, the untamed land had extremely rich and fertile soil, so people decided to use the land for farming and cattle raising. The perfect farmland encouraged more and more people to go west to be farmers and ranchers in the open fields of the west, which in turn increased the amount of settlement that happened in western American. In fact, in the year 1862, the federal government issued the homestead act, which allowed anyone to own thier own chunk of the west. There was a three step process to obtaining a deed: file an application, improve the land, and file for deed of title. As long as that person has never taken up arms against the united states, was 21, lived on the land for five years, and have shown evidence of improvements on the land, then they could file go throught with this process and have a deed to their 160 acres west of the mississippi.
The speed at which the ranchers settled the west is quite amazing. In a matter of a couple decades, they were able to settle the majority of the open lands. Even today, many descendants of the original settlers live on their family ranches, raising cattle and living off the land. If it weren't for the bravery and courage that the ranchers had, then the settlement of the west would have been near impossible.
Boles
History of the American West
18 October, 2011
In the 1800's, the western half of current day America was unmapped, untamed, and ripe for the picking. It was in the 1850's that farmers in the East saw this land as a perfect place for them to go and live a new, yet slightly similar life. But farmers were not the only ones who went out west to live, others who thought the life of a rancher was for them went too. Whether they failed or not, when they got out there, they were in for a surprise. Some got to the good land first and were able to live in the beautiful, fertile lands that were perfect for farming and cattle raising. Other, however, got there too late, and were forced to live on top of the unfertile lands that were left over.
One of these successful ranchers, Margaret Heffernan Borland, was actually one of the successful women who went out west to escape the stereotypes of Eastern America. On the year she died, 1873, she owned more than 10,000 cattle in her ranch in Texas. She is said to be the only woman who was known to lead cattle in the west in the 1800’s.
Ranchers in the west had many conflicts and troubles while living in the west. Not only were there issue like extreme weather and extreme heat or cold, but there was also conflicts revolving around animals. This included wild animals killing off livestock, attacking the ranchers, and just destroying things in general. Other, more human problems, included fights over land, cattle, and property. One example of this issue was the Pleasant valley war, between the cattle-herding Grahams and the sheep-herding Tewksburys. The fighting lasted about ten years, and the most deadly fights were in 1886 and 1887, and the last known death was in 1892. Also, one of the biggest issues that ranchers would have in the west would be just getting there. The land was still quite unmapped, and getting there in the first place could be the biggest threat to fortune seekers, since there were no routes that had been explored and mapped, mountains to climb over or around, and native territory that had to be passed through. However, if someone was able to survive the trip, claim their piece of land, and had the skills to survive, a happy and wealthy life would soon follow.
The ranchers of the American west displayed the American peoples want to settle the newly explored and unsettled western world that had opened up to them. Also it shows how they wanted to use the land in the 1800’s. In the early 1800’s, the untamed land had extremely rich and fertile soil, so people decided to use the land for farming and cattle raising. The perfect farmland encouraged more and more people to go west to be farmers and ranchers in the open fields of the west, which in turn increased the amount of settlement that happened in western American. In fact, in the year 1862, the federal government issued the homestead act, which allowed anyone to own thier own chunk of the west. There was a three step process to obtaining a deed: file an application, improve the land, and file for deed of title. As long as that person has never taken up arms against the united states, was 21, lived on the land for five years, and have shown evidence of improvements on the land, then they could file go throught with this process and have a deed to their 160 acres west of the mississippi.
The speed at which the ranchers settled the west is quite amazing. In a matter of a couple decades, they were able to settle the majority of the open lands. Even today, many descendants of the original settlers live on their family ranches, raising cattle and living off the land. If it weren't for the bravery and courage that the ranchers had, then the settlement of the west would have been near impossible.