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American Old West
The American old west, from 1700 to the early 1900s, was a wild, lawless yet very interesting time, and many influences from these times can still be seen today in the modern west. Explorers, trappers, settlers, marshals, gunmen, Indians, cowboys, villains, ranchers, prospectors, businessmen and women, and multitudes of others came together to lay the foundations of Western USA. In this category, there are questions on the lives and adventures of these people.
330 Questions
How long did the wagon train era last for the Mormons?
Mormons travelled the Mormon trail to Utah in wagon trains from 1845 to 1869. In 1869 the transcontinental railroad was completed and many Mormons going to Utah began taking the train.
Henry Hooker was a cattle rancher in the Old West who founded the Sierra Bonita ranch in Arizona. The ranch was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964.
How did the cattle boom change the life in the west?
Many smaller towns prospered because of the cattle boom, because it brought the cattle herders and cowboys to town. When the cattle drive was finished, the cowboys were anxious to spend their money.
The Mormon Trail
Where have all the cowboys gone?
They've gone to...
Home, home on the range,
Where the deer and the antelope play!
Where the prairie winds blow, and the cattle shall roam,**
And where the skies are not cloudy all day.
**A little different, made-up verse from the Traditional Cowboy Song (link below).
How did the Donner Party survive in the winter stuck in the mountains?
They built shelters to live in and slaughtered their animals for food. At the very end of their ordeal, some of them ate human flesh to stay alive.
Railroads were built into Texas so cattle could be rapidly shipped to the eastern markets?
Not really, railroads were built in all of the western states, not just Texas, so that yes, cattle could be shipped to the eastern markets.
1860-1880. It is when the railroad made it profitable to raise cattle, but by 1880 the land had been over grazed and too many cattle sent to the stock yards.
Not to my knowledge. I am relatively familiar with the Ringo Family since 1640, and
John has been a family name for generations. I do not know any of them who were jewish or had a jewish mother.
How did Fort Laramie get to become a military post?
Fort Laramie started as a fur trading post named Fort William in 1834. In 1841, Fort William was replaced with a larger structure named Fort John. As the fur trade declined, Fort John became a post which catered to emigrants on the Oregon trail. In 1849, the US Army purchased Fort John and renamed it Fort Laramie. It became a military post and soon became the principal military outpost on the Northern Plains.
Horses are required to supervise, move, and round up the cattle in the vast grazing areas.
What did people wear in the old west?
People wore 10 galleon hats ,a bandana ,a cheacked shirt/leather trousers and cowboy boots.The womem wore a Cotton dress,a white cotton apron,leather boots and a bonnet.
The American attitude was that Americans had the right to fill the continent. When the Native Indian Americans were a threat to the settlers moving in, the US government made treaties with groups like the Plains Indians, or strong-armed them into moving out of the areas designated for white settlers.
Did they have electricity in the old west?
Surprisingly - yes! Many of the larger mining towns and camps had numerous resources including electricity, the telephone & telegraph, and water systems. Some of the smaller towns probably never had the chance to develop such resources. Major towns, especially those that developed in the late 1880's and 1890's did have such resources!
What mountain range was doom for donner party?
I think what you are asking for is Donner Pass, located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.
Each Ranch or Farm has a unique brand. When they brand their cattle with their unique brand, it shows that the cattle belongs to that ranch or farm. Also, if a cow gets out, they can tell where that cow came from.
Who did cattle ranchers and cowboys learn about cattle from?
I think a lot of it was on the job training. We have lived with and raised cattle for centuries. The novel approach was using a horse to herd and manage the cattle. This was necessary due to the lack of fences and long distances to cover. The Mexicans/Spanish contributed a lot of riding and roping skills to cowboys. The modern American Cowboy really started to develop after the Civil War. As young men returned home they needed a way to make money. Lots of cattle had been let go or escaped from farms during the war. These men had to develop skills to round the cattle up and brand them so they could sell them. Texas is really the birth place of the American Cowboy because of this.
What Old cattle town that starts with s?
Schuyler, Nebraska was a cattle town in 1870. Cattle were driven to Schuyler and loaded onto Union Pacific Railroad trains.
Mormonism in 1860 was actually quite a bit different than it is today. While modern Mormons still follow the same theology and have a similar organization, the culture of Mormonism has changed quite dramatically over the past 150 years.In 1860, there were approximately 61,000 members of the Church (over 15 million today), the vast majority were living in Utah Territory or other Mormon settlements in the west (over 60% today live outside the US). Foreign converts, most of which were in Great Britain and Scandinavia, were strongly encouraged and in fact expected to gather to Utah as soon as possible. As the Church had only been in existence for 30 years, nearly every member was a convert. The first generation that had been born into the church were young adults and there was some excitement over what a "born and raised Mormon" could accomplish.
Mormonism was much more insular at that time, with most members living quite isolated from the outside world. Brigham Young was the prophet, and many considered him their only political and government leader as well, despite what the Federal Government had to say. Utah was just ending a period of near theocracy, where the Prophet and Governor were the same and had power over nearly every aspect of life. Church leaders did not shy away from condemning specific non-Mormon groups and teachings, and were much more direct in their manner of preaching. Preaching at that time was much more "hellfire and damnation" compared to today's "love and acceptance" style. Like today, much of Mormon preaching focused on practical life advice on topics such as family relationships, hard work, preparation, and education. However, the expectations were much more strict - modesty standards dictated being covered to the wrists and ankles; parents were advised to avoid telling fairy tales and fantasy stories to their children; and members were told to grow, cook, and make everything from scratch rather than purchase items or supplies from non-Mormons. Mormons were encouraged to develop their own clothing styles to set them apart from non-Mormons, and even developed their own alphabet called Deseret to further set them apart from outsiders. (neither of these caught on)
Mormon missionaries were often married, called for an indefinite period of time to leave their wives and children to fend for themselves back home. Women would not be allowed to serve as missionaries for over 30 years, although some were permitted to go with their husbands if they did not have kids. Mission life was focused on preaching, and missionaries did a lot of street preaching and cottage meetings. Conversion to the church was a huge commitment, as it often meant leaving your family and country behind. Many converts sold all they had and risked their lives to cross the plains to Utah.
While the preaching was more direct, the standards were more strict, and the expectations were much higher than what we see today, Mormon culture - especially among those in the American West - was less conservative. Attendance at Sunday meetings tended to be quite low, with most families worshiping in their homes rather than at church. Mormonism truly was a way of life, and not a Sunday thing. The Relief Society was just beginning to be re-organized at the local level, and children's Primary and Young Women/Young Men organizations wouldn't come to be for at least a decade. Most Mormons drank coffee or used tobacco, and drinking alcohol was quite common - the Word of Wisdom was just a 'suggestion' and was rarely preached about. There would be no Temples until the St. George Temple was dedicated in 1877, but members could be endowed and sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Because the Endowment House was not a Temple, vicarious ordinances were limited to baptisms and marriage sealings (no sealing of children to parents, and no endowments for the dead). Polygamous marriages were allowed and were often arranged by church leaders. Many converts were unaware of the practice of polygamy until they moved to Utah, although they may have heard rumors from non-Mormon sources. Many Mormons, especially those in rural areas, were exceptionally poor and still trying to come back from the losses they suffered due to losing a harvest season in the Utah War two years earlier. The United Order had been considered but not yet put into practice due to the disruption caused by the Utah War. Tithing was not especially common and was not limited to money - clothing, household items, livestock, food, and land were accepted at a Bishop's Tithing Office and then distributed to those in need. The Priesthood was much more exclusive - not every man and boy was ordained, and fathers were rarely given the privilege of blessing or baptizing their own children.
Modern Mormons might also find it interesting to know that most 1860's Mormons would be using a copy of the Book of Mormon that did not have verse numbers. Those with verses were divided into much different chapters and verses than they are today. Mormons also tended to be more widely read and well versed in the Bible, and the Bible was referred to more often than the Book of Mormon in sermons. Additionally, while the hymn book contained several songs that might be familiar to modern Mormons, they were sung to different tunes.
