1. Chapter 21: The Cattle Kingdom
Section 1: Early Cattle Ranching

2. Spanish Beginnings
• 1500s: Spanish had ranches firmly
established in Mexico
• 1700s: Cattle moved northward to
support missions in Rio Grande & San
Antonio River Valleys
• Good climate & water supply

3. Spanish Beginnings
• First Texas Ranchers: Tejanos who
brought knowledge of ranching
from Mexico
• Brands—marks that made it
possible to determine who owned
Texas cattle

7. Spanish Beginnings
• Cattle drives—herding groups of cattle
to market
• Cattle driven from South of Rio Grande
to supply Spanish military outposts
• Driven from SE Texas to Louisiana

8. Spanish Beginnings
• Ranching spreads:
– East TX: near markets in New
Orleans
– Central/South TX: rich prairies &
moderate climates

9. Spanish Beginnings
• Cattle driven out of state:
– New Orleans
– California after discovery of gold
– Ohio

10. Spanish Beginnings
• Problems:
–Rustlers—thieves
–Access to markets
–Low population = low demand

11. The Texas Longhorns
• Longhorn—a
cross
between
Spanish &
English
cattle
BEVO—it’s what’s
for dinner!

12. The Texas Longhorns
• Strengths:
– Thrived on native grasses
– Could endure hot/cold
– Could eat prickly pear and survive on little
water
– Resistant to Texas Fever

13. The Texas Longhorns
• “8 pounds of
hamburger on
800 pounds of
bone and horn.”
• Horns provided
protection

15. The Texas Longhorns
• Texas cattle grew during
the Civil War because
Union blockades made it
difficult to move cattle
out of state