The west went through a lot of economical changes throughout half a century that left many impacts in our lives today. There were many people and events that changed the west but three main ideas that I’d like to mention which influenced the West’s development are miners, cattlemen and farmers. All three of these social groups left an impact on the land and the development of the western region. From the 1850’s to 1900, these three groups were vital to the western region.
The west gave new opportunities to settlers and Native Americans as well new land for living and animals for food and other valuable items. In 1858, committed miners traveled west, onto the Rockies, when they heard that gold had been discovered. Other groups, such as the “Fifty-niners” spread into Nevada, where they mined gold and silver which was worth almost 350 million dollars. Big ore-breaking machinery was brought over to crush the gold-bearing quartz. This procedure was very expensive and was often only pe
The west, abundant with cattle, brought a lot of working opportunities for cattlemen. They were able to create a big business for the west which was cattle raising. Since railroads were introduced to the west, it was a lot easier for the cattlemen to transport their cattle from one place to another. These cattlemen also learned to be efficient with their livestock and learned not to overproduce their business. These cattle breeders learned to fence their ranches and organize their animals. The railroad played a major role in the cattle business because cattle could now be shipped bodily to the stockyards and then be brought back again to the breeders. They gained a sense of responsibility in raising and producing these animals, which resulted in their success in raising livestock.
rformed by wealthy corporations. As technology advanced over the years, miners took over these heavy roles once played by corporations. These miners and their job played important roles in the development of the
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