Limited water supply
limited water
Farmers dug deep well to get water
There was competition between ranchers and farmers to settle in the Great Plains because they wanted to have more land.
barbed wire
barbed wire
There was competition between ranchers and farmers to settle in the Great Plains because they wanted to have more land.
Drought, soil erosion and competition from cattle ranchers.
Ranchers preferred open grazing land and depended on large land areas for livestock, whereas farmers needed fenced land for crops and irrigation. This difference in land use led to competition for resources like water and land in the Great Plains.
Farmers
Cattle ranchers raise cattle, and sheep/goat farmers raise sheep and goats.
In the 1800s, ranchers and farmers in the American West were divided primarily over land use and water rights. Ranchers, who relied on grazing land for their cattle, often clashed with farmers who cultivated crops and needed access to the same resources. The open range system favored ranchers, while the rise of farming created competition for land and water, leading to tensions over property rights and resource allocation. Additionally, differing economic interests and lifestyles further exacerbated the divide between these two groups.
Ranchers and Farmers fought over land control.