Inventors and Innovations at the Turn of the Century
Learn about each inventor by clicking on their picture! Use these linked sites to fill in your graphic organizer. Most of these inventors have more than the single article that is linked about them. Feel free to explore the site for more information!
Westward Expansion:
The Role of the Transcontinental Railroad and the Cattle Drives
After the Civil War, much of the East had a cattle shortage. This made people in the East willing to pay a lot of money for beef. In Texas, many ranchers couldn't sell their cattle for a profit. To solve this problem, ranchers hired cowboys to "drive" their cattle from the ranches in Texas up to the railroad lines in Kansas and Nebraska. The most well known of these trails was the Chisholm Trail. The Chisholm Trail ran from San Antonio, Texas to Abilene and Ellsworth, Kansas.
Life on the trail provided unique opportunities for Mexican and African Americans. One-third of the cowboys during this time were people of color. These jobs were grueling work, but they were one of the few where African Americans and Mexican Americans were treated as equals. Cowboys were often on the trail for months at a time. Cowboys typically only slept about 4 hours per night, and spent up to 20 hours in the saddle during the day. The journey was hot and dusty. Cowboys had to use special gear to survive in the elements. |
Bill Pickett was a cowboy and famous rodeo star. He invented the rodeo event, steer wrestling or bulldogging. He was the first African American named to the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.
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