Close of the Frontier and the Impact of Technology

Close of the Frontier and the
Impact of Technology

Unit 6: Economic Growth and Expansion

Lesson Directions

● Option #1: Hand Drawn Matrix

○ Tools Needed: 2 pages in your history notebook and a pencil
○ Open the matrix template link for this assignment
○ Draw the matrix template in your history notebook. There is a total

of 12 parts. Draw half of them on one page and the other half on the
other page.
○ Use the flipbook below to complete your matrix.

● Option #2: Electronic Matrix

○ Tools Needed: Click here to open the electronic matrix
○ Copy and open the electronic matrix template.
○ Use the flipbook below to complete your matrix.

Key Unit Vocabulary

★ Invention- the act of inventing or creating something
★ Innovation- a new method, idea, product, etc.
★ Technological Progress- the discovery of new and improved methods of

producing goods.
★ Economic Growth- and increase in the production of economic goods and

services, compared from one period of time to another.
★ Closed Range- closing the open range land for cattle and ranchers.

Close of the Frontier and the
Impact of Technology

Unit 6: Economic Growth and Expansion

Close of the Frontier & Development of West Texas

★ The removal of Native Americans to Indian
reservations allowed Anglo settlers to begin
settling west in Texas (Great Plains and
Mountains & Basins Region)

★ Unlike the east (Coastal Plains) that had a
moist climate and access to rivers and
streams, the rainfall in the west did not
provide enough water for many types of
crops. However, the prospect of cheap and
plentiful land, attracted farmers to use
different ways to farm in the west.

Close of the Frontier and Development of West Texas

★ Dry farming methods relied on making the most of limited rainfall. It began
with deep plowing (digging) which left a loose layer of soil on top of the
ground that would help to reduce rainwater runoff and keep soil moist.

★ Farmers in the west were able to grow wheat, cotton, and sorghum (used for
cattle food) using the dry farming method.

★ Farmers rotated the type of crops grown in their fields each year. Planting a
series of different crops kept the soil fertile and resting the soil helped to
preserve its moisture.

Technological Innovations

Irrigation

Farmers used a irrigation system to supply water to the land or crops to help
them grow, typically by means of channels.

Barbed Wire

(INvented by Joseph Glidden)

Joseph Glidden invented the most successful type of barbed wire. Barbed wire
fencing was made up of small, sharpened pieces of wire twisted onto other long
strands. This fence was quick, easy, and cheap to install and provided a barrier to

cattle without being severely injured.

The Windmill

Windmills were adopted in
the late 1800s by farmers
planting in drier areas of
Texas. Wind turned the
wheel, which generated
power to pump water from

the ground.

Steel Plow

(Invented by John Deere)

John Deere invented the steel
plow in 1837 to break up
tough soil without soil
getting stuck in it.

Mechanical Reaper

(Invented by Cyrus McCormick)

Cyrus McCormick invented the
mechanical reaper in 1831 to help
farmers harvest (pick) their crops
mechanically without having to
do it by hand. This method was

much faster.

Threshing Machine

A threshing machine was a power
driven machine for separating grain

from plants while the combine
harvester machine cut and cleaned a

grain crop in one operation.

Refrigeration THEN

★ Refrigeration brought another shift in the cattle industry. NOW
Before refrigeration became available, animals had to be
shipped alive to slaughter houses. Those slaughterhouses
had to be near markets to avoid spoilage of the processed
meat.

★ By 1863, refrigerated ships and railroad cars using dry ice
made with carbon dioxide compressors could transport
meat from Texas to other states or countries.

★ These advancements led to the development of a meat
packing industry in Texas since livestock could now be
slaughtered and packaged then shipped and sold
elsewhere.

★ In Texas the railroad, refrigeration, and meat packing
industries were closely linked to the growth of ranches.

Agricultural Industry: Effects of Technology

★ The expansion of railroads helped draw
settlers to the frontier. Railroad companies
actively encouraged the growth of towns
along their routes, as this would increase
train ridership. More farmers also meant
more crops to ship, which would generate
additional business for the railroads.

★ The railroads also supported research and
practices that would help frontier farmers
succeed, such as planting trees as
windbreaks, or barriers against the wind, to
help prevent soil erosion.

Agricultural Industry: Cotton is King

★ Cotton production soared in Texas after the Civil War. It
was the state’s most important crop and brought in more
profits than all other Texas crops combined.

★ A number of factors led to the growth of the cotton
industry.

○ The displacement of Native Americans from the Plains opened the
land for settlers.

○ The introduction of barbed-wire fencing protected cotton fields
from livestock.

○ The expansion of railways within Texas helped cotton farmers ship
their product to market.

○ The invention of the telegraph in the mid-1800s allowed for quick
communication over long distances, which helped to speed cotton
sales.

Agricultural Industry: Difficulties for Farmers

★ Despite their efforts, not all farmers
succeeded. Some settlers were unfamiliar
with Texas’s climates and lands. Their farms
failed because they planted the wrong crops
or managed them poorly. Other farmers
suffered from natural disasters.

★ As worldwide trade increased, farmers in
Texas faced competition from agriculture in
far-off lands. When cotton farming
expanded in India and Egypt, the world
cotton supply also increased, which led to
lower cotton prices everywhere.

The Cattle Industry

★ In Texas the railroad, refrigeration, and
meat packing industries were closely
linked to the growth of ranches.

★ While many ranchers of the 1800s grazed
their cattle on the open range, others
brought land for pasture and fenced it. The
destruction of the buffalo herds and the
movements of Natives to reservations
opened for land for Anglo Americans.

The Cattle Industry Continued

★ One reason that the grazing of animals on
the open range declined in Texas in the late
1800s was the invention of barbed-wire
fencing. As ranchers began fencing their
land, conflicts arose. At times, fencing cut off
access to water sources for herds. Ranchers
and herders began cutting fences so they
could get their animals to water. As tensions
rose, the Texas legislature voted in 1884 to
make fence cutting a felony.

★ After the 1890s, ranching practices changed
to favor close management of herds and the
complete fencing-in of pastureland.