the end of the "cattle kingdoms" and the open range was caused by all of these except a) the civil war. b) fenced property. c) government regulations. d) the invention of barbed wire.
History · High School · Tue Nov 03 2020
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The end of the "cattle kingdoms" and the open range was caused by all of these except a) the civil war. The civil war ended in 1865, preceding the height of the cattle kingdoms and open range period, which was more influenced by events that occurred afterwards. Post-Civil War expansion actually facilitated the growth of cattle drives, as demand for beef increased in the East. The other factors, b) fenced property, c) government regulations, and d) the invention of barbed wire, directly contributed to the closure of the open range and the decline of the cattle kingdoms.
Extra: To delve deeper into this topic, it's important to understand the context and the impacts of these factors on the cattle industry.
- Fenced Property: As more settlers moved West for farming and other opportunities, they began to fence their properties. This was a fundamental change from the prior use of open ranges, where cattle roamed freely, and it disrupted the traditional routes for cattle drives.
- Government Regulations: Various laws and acts, such as the Homestead Act, encouraged settlement in the West, which led to more fencing and reduced open grazing lands. This again limited the movement of cattle across the ranges.
- The Invention of Barbed Wire: Joseph Glidden's invention of barbed wire in 1874 was significant because it allowed for effective and relatively inexpensive fencing, significantly altering the landscape. This innovation brought an end to the open range by allowing vast areas to be easily fenced off, which in turn restricted the movement of cattle and ended the cattle drives that defined the cattle kingdoms era.
- The Civil War: Although the Civil War had many profound and far-reaching effects on the United States, its conclusion was not a direct cause of the end of the cattle kingdoms. In fact, the end of the war set the stage for the expansion of the beef industry because of the increased demand in the post-war period.
Understanding how these factors interplayed is crucial for comprehending the transformation of the American West and the demise of the era of the cattle barons and their vast, open-range cattle kingdoms.