The Cattle Enterprise and it's effect on United States History

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The cattle industry of the western frontier with the help of the railroad was essential to the expansion of people to the west. Many things caused people to move onward into the unknown of the frontier. The gold rush and the transcontinental railroad were major pulls towards the west. Yet, some neglect the importance of the cattle industry of the time. The cattle industry not only changed how people consumed food but also was very influential to the expansion of people into the west.

Hearing of all of the numerous employment opportunities, chances to get rich quick and the promise of cheap land, people began to move west. After people realized that striking gold was not a big possibility they needed to find other work. Many young men were either hired by the railroad as a source of cheap labor, or they became cowboys. These cowboys lead the cattle drives to the railroads. Granted most of these young men left the cowboy life when they married, it still helped western expansion with the myth of the romantic image of the cowboy.

The cowboy of the time was something to be revered. "The ideal cowboy fights for justice, risks his life to make the little dismal cowtown safe for law-abiding, respectable citizens, but in doing so he destroys the very environment which made him a heroic figure." (Davis 11) The romantic life of the cowboy was long lived through Beadle and Buntline paperbacks of the time. (Davis 111) Even though these myths are far from true, they still helped to draw more and more young men to the west to experience this fantasy.

At this same time, railroads were being built throughout the western frontier. The Central Pacific Railroad was one of the first to be built when congress granted land rights in 186. Railroads were erected all over the frontier from the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad in the south to the Great Northern Railroad in the North. These new railroads became a great means to transfer cattle from the western frontier to the eastern cities in a much cheaper and more efficient manner. (Davidson et al 51)

Help with essay on The Cattle Enterprise and it's effect on United States HistoryAs the railroad was built, many "cow towns" showed up at the railheads. Towns such as Abilene, Denver and Cheyenne, which lie on the Union Pacific, were major shipping ports for livestock, mainly cattle. Ranchers would bring their cattle to these ports by means of the cattle drive, a method where cattle would eat their way through an open range from Texas, where the cattle were purchased, to Kansas and other railheads. Cow towns in Kansas were the most popular places to bring cattle until the railroads continued to travel farther west, thus expanding the places for cattle to be shipped. (Davidson et al 5)

During the time period before the civil war the majority of the people of the country consumed large numbers of pork and meats other than beef. Cattle were deemed very useful for milk and work rather than for meat purposes. These animals were kept alive longer to use for these purposes. +This all changed post civil war. Americans realized that by eating cattle at an earlier age produced a more tender meat. So the demand for beef started to rise.

Americans were not the only "beef hungry" nation. Britain, who had not completely severed its ties with America, also had a taste for beef. They imported most of their product from America and they had no shortage of money, so they could afford it at any price. At this early time in history the beef industry was in trouble and the market was incredible. (Brayer 87) "Virulent disease struck the livestock industry in the herds of both "spelnic" or Texas fever in the American West and hoof-and-mouth disease in England and Scotland." (Brayer 87) Because of these diseases, many animals were intentionally killed to prevent the disease from spreading further, therefore raising the market for beef even higher.

With the high demand for beef, from Americans and the British, beef prices skyrocketed. Thousands of civil war veterans from both armies went west to pick up cheap land and start a ranch. Demand for cattle was high and soon Texas stocked many of these new farmers and ranchmen with cattle to raise. These early ranches made a considerable amount of money. Land from the government was cheap and all a rancher needed was an abundance of land and a homestead for his family.

Cost for raising these animals was minimal; a steer could survive effortlessly off of the grass of the prairie. A rancher could purchase a Longhorn steer for about eleven dollars then turn around and easily sell that animal for seven to twelve dollars per one hundred pounds, a very nice profit. This get rich quick enterprise helped the cattle industry expand greatly. Many people could jump into the industry at a cheap rate and make enormous profits and in turn buy more and more land and create a respected name for themselves.

Money is one of the many reasons people continued to move west. After realizing that striking it rich in the gold industry was not a possibility for the majority of the population, people turned to another escalating enterprise, the cattle industry. For a large portion of the second half of the 1th century there was much money to be made in raising cattle and many people did indeed move west to take advantage of such an opportunity.

Works Cited

Brayer, Herbert O. "The Influence of British Captiol on the Western Range-Cattle

Industry". The Journal of Economic Industry, Volume , Issue Suplement

The Taks of Economic History (14), 85-8. JSTOR. 5 Feb. 00.

http//links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00-0507%814%%C85%ATIOBCO%E.0.CO%B-Z

Davidson, James W, et. al. Nation of Nations, A Narrative History of the

American Republic. New York McGraw-Hill Companies Inc, 001.

Davis, David S. "Ten-Gallon Hero". American Quarterly, Volume 6, Issue

(Summer, 154), 111-15. JSTOR. 5 Feb. 00. http//links.jstor.org/sici=00-0678%8154%6%A%C111%ATH%E.0.CO%B-W

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