USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The great Texas cattle drives started in the 1860’s because we had lots of longhorn and the rest of the country wanted beef. (We get beef from cattle.) From about 1865 to the mid-1890’s, our vaqueros and cowboys herded about 5 million cattle to markets up north while also becoming famous legends that made Texas proud.

Detailed explanation-2: -Cattle drives from Texas started as early as 1836 with some ranchers using this method to get their cattle to railheads so they could sell them for beef, hides and tallow. During the Civil War, the demand for beef didn’t lessen but there was no way to get the cattle to the east coast.

Detailed explanation-3: -After the Civil War, the large cities in the northeast United States wanted beef, but they didn’t have cattle, so the cattle drives were done to satisfy eastern appetites for beef and for the cattle men to make money. A cattle drive was a journey of 600 miles from south Texas to Kansas.

Detailed explanation-4: -How are cattle from Texas moved to northern railroad stations? Who did this difficult work? Cowboys move the cattle. They drive the cattle to the stations using lassos.