The first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869. The west benefited from railroads because they could now get goods and other things they needed from the east. It also helped people in the west because farmers and ranchers were now able to send their crops and cattle to the east for sale. The two companies responsible for building the railroads. The first was Central Pacific, which began in Sacramento,California and headed east. The other company was Union Pacific, which started in Omaha,Nebraska and went west. In May of 1869 the two sets of tracks met in Promontory,Utah thus completing the first transcontinental railroad.
The railroads were very important to the Ranching Frontier. Cattle drives of the past would last for several months and were dangerous. Once railroads came cowboys loaded their cattle on the trains headed east for sale. Cowboys no longer had to do long cattle drives. If you were rancher in the west how would your life be different when you no longer had to do cattle drives because of the railroads? Would you like to be a rancher? Why or why not?
The Homestead Act of 1862 gave people get 160 acres of land free if they lived on it and farmed it for five years. President Abraham signed the Homestead Act of 1862 into law to encourage others to move west. If you didn’t want to wait five years to get the free land you could buy plots of land for $1.25 an acre after living on it for only 6 months. To get land you had to be a United States citizen and 21 years old. The act took 20 years to get the act passed.
It was hard to farm in the in the “Great American Desert”. It did not have enough rain and the tough prairie grass made it hard to plow. Kansas and Nebraska mostly planted wheat. The Great Plains were called the ‘’Great American Bread Basket, because so much wheat was grown there. Would you have like to be a farmer in the west? Why or why not? Would you rather have the 160 acres of free land but have to live there for five years or would you rather pay the money to have the land after six months? Why? If you lived during this time would you rather be a farmer or rancher? Why?
I would not like to be a rancher in the west because you would have to risk your cattle on long cattle drives. However, if I were a rancher in the west my life would be different when the transcontinental railroad was completed because I would not have to risk my cattle. Before the railroads I would have to take my cattle on long, risky cattle drives. Once the railroads were completed I could put my cattle on trains to head east so I could sell them.
ReplyDeleteI would like to be a farmer in the west because I like to farm, and it would be a great chance to farm with the old plows being pulled by cattle. As a farmer I could plant many different types of crops and if one didn’t grow very well I could still make money off the other crops. As a farmer if I had 160 acres of free land I would gladly live on the land and farm it for five years. This would save me a lot of money that I could use to buy the things I needed. It’s too big of a chance to pass up.
If I lived during this time I would rather be a farmer than a rancher because I would not like to risk my cattle on cattle drives and not get paid for them. In my opinion farming is more enjoyable than ranching. Farmers are not as busy as ranchers during the summer and winter so there is more time to enjoy life.
I would pay the money after six months because I would have the land to plant my crops and if I didn't have land i would buy land. After my crops were grown I would have more money to buy the things that my family and I would need. Thats why I would pay for the land.
ReplyDeleteYes i would like to be a farmer, because I i get to plant crops like corn.
ReplyDeleteIf I had the choice to have free 160 acres land for 5 years or have to pay for 6 months, I would have 160 acres of free land. That way I could have lots of crops each year and not pay money for the land. I would save money and not have to move at all. Plus why pay for a shorter amount of time?
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