The research methods used for this thesis are primary and secondary sources. Many of these sources come from 20th century primary and secondary sources however; there are a few primary resources located from the latter part of the 19th century, which will be utilized in this master’s thesis. The majority of these resources will come from the 20th century sources in the fact that many of these are first and second hand accounts of those who worked directly with the cattle barons during their peak in the Wyoming Territory and State. The basis of this thesis will be to focus on the influence the cattle barons had on the political, social and economic parameters of Wyoming, however placing emphasizes on the capital city of Cheyenne wherein the focal point of much of this corruption was centered. There are a several great primary sources which can be drawn from giving …show more content…
Mercer’s book was a controversial book after its publication, which lends to researching many of the questions and topics it brings to light. Another great resource that will bring depth to this thesis will be the biography of John Clay Jrl My Life on the Range, (1962). Clay’s biography highlights the period before the cattle baron reign, giving a rare glance at the ranches where the influence of the European cattle ranchers was prominent. One finally resource which will be invaluable to this thesis is Frank Canton’s autobiography, Frontier Trails (1966). The background and involvement of Canton with the Wyoming Stock Growers Association is described along with his role in the invasion of Johnson County War. This brings a perspective to the thesis, which allows an understanding of the cattle baron from someone who was not directly associated with cattle industry but also had a law enforcement background with ties back to the cattle barons. The plethora of resources will give this author numerous avenues to evaluate and research for additional documentation, which will
We see the cowboy as rebellious, riding away from civilization, however his life is full of conformity. If he were to go against the flow and always rebel, he would never survive, much less successfully care for his cattle. “…ranch work is teamwork and even the glorified open-range cowboys of the 1880’s rode up and down the Chisholm Trail in the company or twenty or thirty men” states Ehrlich. Not only is he seen riding away from civilization he is also riding a lone. He is portrayed as being individualistic and a loner, yet Ehrlich asserts that the cowboy like every other man in America, has a family to return home to (Ehrlich, 82-83). Described as a “rugged individualist”, the cowboy is none-the-less part of a group, achieving one goal, caring for the cattle (Ehrlich,
In this book Samuel Western was briefly talking about Wyoming’s past and how he will input his ideas about how he could better its future. Sam Western's book states every economic failure and loss of what the people have gained for that has always tormented Wyoming. He follows the roots of myths that have impacted the advancement or absence of improvement in the state from the territory's regional days to the present. He utilizes statistical data points, however he additionally utilizes data and profiles of essential individuals that was provided. While this famous financial history will most engage perusers with an enthusiasm for Wyoming, it brings up the more extensive issue of how our understanding of the past impacts current arrangement choices. Samuel Western, a
One of the chief culprits, he concludes, is Wyoming's manufacture of a false history around cowboy mythology. While the bucking horse is one of Wyoming's most identifiable symbols (it's on every Wyoming license plate), Western notes that Wyoming's key early settlers were, in fact, wealthy merchants who, from the beginning, had an
Arkansas/Arkansaw: How Bear Hunters, Hillbillies, and Good Ol' Boys Defined a State. Brooks Blevins. Fayetteville, AR. 2009. 242 pages
Cattle has a reliable significance by being the personification of the Native American people. Although white ranchers rejected the animals, Josiah has his faith and intuition that his cattle would be unique, not the ordinary which have lost touch with their lands. He demonstrates the animals as “any living thing” (Silko, 74), which illustrates that the cattle would lose their origins if they “separate from the land for too long” (Silko, 74). Silko highlights the dissimilarity of treatment of animals by the whites from the Laguna method of hunting animals since the Laguna people expresses their respects and appreciations for the prey through rituals and ceremonies. When the Herefords owned by the white ranchers are about to fall to death because of thirst, the spotted cattle can find water on their own. In other words, they are self-sufficient and close to the lands
Cowboys are the American idol of the “Old West” pictured as silhouette riding out over the prairie on their horse with the sunset ahead of them. They are what shaped the entire cattle raising industry in America. A study of the cowboy way of life helps us to discover the hardships they faced and the experiences that every cowboy has witnessed.
By the early twentieth century, black cowboys accounted for two percent of the total equestrian population in the West. In Idaho, where African Americans comprised about 0.2 percent of the total population, blacks made up 1.8 percent of the State’s cowboy population. Only recently have some of these individuals begun to receive the recognition they deserve. In 2008, Henry Harris, a deceased black buckaroo of Spanish tradition, found his way into the Buckaroo Hall of Fame in Winnemucca, Nevada. For decades, he had gone relatively unnoticed by most Americans. Conceived in slavery and born in freedom, Harris had traveled west from Texas chasing the promise of a better life. Following John Sparks, the future governor of Nevada, in 1903, Harris found himself in the midst of a large cattle empire encompassing northeast Nevada and southern Idaho. Like most African Americans, Harris began his buckaroo experience branding cows and breaking horses; two undesirable jobs often relegated to black cowboys. As Harris showed greater skill and leadership, Sparks would later make him foreman over a crew of both black and white cowboys. The color of his skin had not restricted his opportunities as a buckaroo; most white cowboys treated Harris as an equal on the range. Off the range though, he was just another black man and became racially inferior once more.
Many recognize the classic image of the cowboy in an old western movie: the fearless, stoic hero that stays calm in moments of crisis. In Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses, readers witness the protagonist, John Grady Cole, attempt to revive this famous archetype. Beginning as early as when the first pilgrims came to the new continent, Americans have always had a desire to “settle” Native American lands. In the time that followed, the West became a sort of proving ground for the Europeans and their decedents. During the nineteenth century, the image of land being settled by men on horses, who literally took the law into their own hands through their shotguns, became pervasive in the American mind. By
As the United States grew in the beginning of the 20th century the demand for meat was always needed. Fortunately for the young state of Oklahoma the prairie lands of the Great Plains were a perfect area to feed the numerous heads of animals sent to the butchers that fed America. In 1907, there were 1,206,800 animals within Oklahoma; nearly all farmers in every country of Oklahoma raised hogs (Goins and Goble, 171). Oklahoma’s ranching economy changed in the youthful years of statehood as the profession of ranching became more commercialized with intent to maximize the meat per hoof, which would increase the profit margins (Baird and Goble, 194). One way the ranchers maximized the meat per hoof was the replacement of Spanish breed longhorn cattle for the heartier English breed, Hereford (Baird and Goble, 194). “Herefords were raised in such numbers that many referred to Oklahoma as ‘Hereford Heaven’ (Goins and Goble 172)”. As mentioned before plains of Oklahoma were ideal for grazing
You will asked to select FIVE names/terms from a list of eight or nine choices. You will write a paragraph identifying the name/term and provide additional information about the significance of the name/term to Wyoming history. Some possible terms are listed under questions in Part III (below).
Having lived in Hawaii my entire life I have been surrounded and involved with farming, hunting, and ranching. I was subjected to the life of the Paniolo(Hawaiian cowboys) at a very young age, two of my neighbors and good family friends were involved with Parker ranch, a 250,000 acre ranch in the mountainous town of Waimea. Parker ranch deals with a generous supply of livestock; primarily cattle accompanied with smaller herds of sheep and horses. I’ve been able to ride around the ranch and observe the Paniolo herd cattle and perform simple daily tasks like refilling troughs and cycling horses for grazing. Simply reading about Cordasco’s lifestyle and duties made me very reminiscent of the many days I spent on the ranch, one very fond memory of mine was riding on the back of an atv while my uncle drove to find a herd of cattle and perform a head count.
In Montana 1948, Wesley Hayden struggles with enforcing laws on his brother, whom Wesley has felt grateful for since he “saved our [Wesley’s friend and himself] bacon” (Watson 152) in the Highdog brother incident, and providing justice for the murder of Marie Little Soldier, a Native American girl who took took care of Davy from a very young age. This conflict, is further intensified with the sharp stigma and racism surrounding Native American’s in the traditional town of Bentrock, Montana in the year of 1948.
The Englishmen settled on the east side, but not in Florida. They needed land in Europe and some left for better jobs. Also, a group or two left, because they needed to leave for religious purposes. Everybody left for different reasons some for good resources, good land, better job opportunities, farming opportunities, gold, and freedom of religion.
Most people who settled the Great Plains were ranchers. The western frontier was an idea place for grazing huge herds of cattle. Cowboys tended herds of cattle, branded them, and managed long cattle drives across the open prairies. In 1869 the building of the transcontinental railroad made it possible to ship the cattle market in large and profitable numbers (JRank Articles 2011). The experience of the
The same year, local hacienda owner and rancher Pascual Encinas drove his cattle into Seri land and tried to “train” the Seri to work for him (Sheridan, 2000, p. 112). When this failed, his well-armed men attacked the Seri who were armed only with handcrafted weapons. By 1855, the Seri population had dropped to a mere 500 (Bowen & Moser, 1996).