Cattle owners had to buy private property on which to keep their cattle primarily because farms and the railroads carved up the open range. As settlement expanded and agricultural land was developed, the open range became increasingly fragmented, making it necessary for cattle owners to secure private land to ensure their cattle had a place to graze. This transition was part of a broader trend of land privatization and regulation that changed the landscape of cattle ranching in the late 19th century.
Why did cattle owners have to buy private property on which to keep their cattle?
• They couldn’t graze their cattle on Native American reservations.
• Cattle in open-range herds got mixed together.
• Farms and the railroads carved up the open range.
• Diseases often wiped out entire herds..
1 answer
1 answer