Question

Which factors contributed to the end of open-range cattle ranching in the mid-1880s?

(1 point)
Responses

increase in beef prices and development of railroads
increase in beef prices and development of railroads

extreme weather
extreme weather

lack of workers
lack of workers

drop in beef prices and the invention of barbed wire

Answer 1

The factors that contributed to the end of open-range cattle ranching in the mid-1880s were primarily the drop in beef prices and the invention of barbed wire. The introduction of barbed wire allowed ranchers to enclose their lands, which marked the end of the open-range era, and the downturn in beef prices made it less profitable to sustain vast herds without the open grazing lands. Therefore, the correct response is:

drop in beef prices and the invention of barbed wire.