Chapter 21: The Cattle Kingdom

Section 1: Early Cattle Ranching

Spanish Beginnings

• 1500s: Spanish had ranches firmly established in Mexico

• 1700s: Cattle moved northward to support missions in Rio Grande & San Antonio River Valleys

• Good climate & water supply

Spanish Beginnings

• First Texas Ranchers: Tejanos who brought knowledge of ranching from Mexico

•Brands—marks that made it possible to determine who owned Texas cattle

Spanish Beginnings

• Cattle drives—herding groups of cattle to market

• Cattle driven from South of Rio Grande to supply Spanish military outposts

• Driven from SE Texas to Louisiana

Spanish Beginnings

• Ranching spreads:

– East TX: near markets in New Orleans

– Central/South TX: rich prairies & moderate climates

Spanish Beginnings

•Cattle driven out of state:

–New Orleans

–California after discovery of gold

–Ohio

Spanish Beginnings

•Problems:

–Rustlers—thieves

–Access to markets

–Low population = low demand

The Texas Longhorns

•Longhorn—a cross between Spanish & English cattleBEVO—it’s what’s

for dinner!

The Texas Longhorns

• Strengths:

– Thrived on native grasses

– Could endure hot/cold

– Could eat prickly pear and survive on little water

– Resistant to Texas Fever

The Texas Longhorns

• “8 pounds of hamburger on 800 pounds of bone and horn.”

• Horns provided protection

The Texas Longhorns

•Texas cattle grew during the Civil War because Union blockades made it difficult to move cattle out of state