New Mexico History Cumulative Questions and Answers Rated A+

New Mexico History Cumulative Questions and Answers Rated A+ What are the causes and effects of overgrazing? Herds have to be driven from place to place to find food and water. Generally, cattle fed valleys and open range while sheep feed higher in mountains, causing over grazing at all altitude levels. As mature grasses become scarce, cattle and sheep eat new grass before it produces seed. Hooves of both animals destroy root systems and their trampling hardens the soil so grass seedlings could not survive. Water holes became large mud holes where no grasses grew and the land could no longer capture and store water. Grassland was replaced by scrub grass and sagebrush. With grasses gone, the range climate becomes hot and arid. Describe the crime associated with the cattle drives. Cattle left out on the open range were routinely rustled and stage coaches carrying the cash payrolls for cowboys were robbed. Mexican bands roamed in Texas and attacked large ranches.The Texas Rangers responded to these attacks by catching and killing bandits. Wars over land and water pitted the cattlemen and sheep herders. What role have cattle played in the history of New Mexico? The Spaniards imported cattle in the 1500s. By 1850 these cattle interbred with English cattle to produce the Longhorn, which thrived in Texas. Eastern cities needed beef and Texas had a surplus. To move 1000 head of cattle it took 7 mounted cowboys to handle the cattle drives, but economically it was worth it. In 1866 a steer cost $4 in Texas and sold in the East for $40 a head, which reflected inflated pricing, but many took advantage of it to make money. Describe the success of the Goodnight-Loving partnership In 1866 Goodnight and Loving drove 2000 head of cattle to Fort Sumner and sold 1,200 to the Army. The rest were sold in Denver to a supplier for the advancing railroad crews. By 1880, five million head of cattle had been sold with another six million on hand in herds. How was New Mexico able to support cattle drives? The climate in the late 1800's in New Mexico was wetter than it is now and rangelands were green and lush. Spring runoff was used to irrigate fields that are now abandoned. Open range can no longer be used for grazing because of the climate change. How are sheep important to the history of New Mexico? Columbus first brought sheep in 1493 and Cortés carried sheep to feed his legion. Coronado brought sheep to New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas and eventually Spanish wool and textile business expanded sheep ranching. The governor of Spanish New Mexico had 1,282,000 acre land grant and 2,700 Indian and Mexican herders to tend his flocks. From the start of the Gold rush in California, sheep were driven west to feed the miners. What industries influenced economic development in the late 1800's? Between 1860 and 1900, three industries helped change the economy of the entire nation; ranching, railroads, and mining. Describe economic changes brought about by the railroads. Land prices rose and more land became available to settlers. Copper mining developed as new technologies emerged and transportation improved to bring the copper to market. The lumbering business grew as a result of increasing populations in towns needing more lumber to build homes. Consequently, sawmills and logging railroads increased to produce railroad ties, timbers, and bridges. Farming for cash crops expanded. An example of the new economy can be seen in the Aztec Land & Cattle, which was owned by the railroad and shipped 40,000 head per year by 1900. Trace the history of the development of the cattle trails. Before the Civil War, the Shawnee Trail led Texas cattlemen to markets in Kansas City and St. Louis. Following the war, increased settlement closed that route, and in 1866 Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving blazed a trail west (called the Goodnight-Loving Trail) to the New