Key Terms and Concepts in Western Expansion and Cattle Ranching

Land grants

land designated by the federal government for building schools, roads, or railroads

Open range

grassland used to feed the ranchers' cattle owned by the government

Immigrants

a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.

Cattle trail

a route used to move large herds of cattle from their grazing lands to a destination, such as a market or a railhead, for sale or shipping

Transcontinental Railroad

rail link between the eastern and the western United States

Homestead Act

a 1862 law that gave 160 acres of land to citizens willing to live on and cultivate it for five years

Stockyard

a large yard containing pens and sheds, typically adjacent to a slaughterhouse, in which livestock is kept and sorted.

Vaquero

(in Spanish-speaking parts of the US) a cowboy; a cattle driver.

Quanah Parker

People's Party; political party formed in 1891 to advocate a larger money supply and other economic reforms

Populist Party

People's Party; political party formed in 1891 to advocate a larger money supply and other economic reforms

Buffalo soldier

in the US) an African American cavalry soldier.

Wrangle

a dispute or argument, typically one that is long and complicated

Brand

an identifying mark burned on livestock or (formerly) criminals or slaves with a branding

Assimilated

absorbed into the main culture of a society

Cash crop

a crop grown for sale

Reservation

public lands where Native Americans were required to live by the federal government

Texas Ranger

a member of the Texas State police force (formerly, of certain locally mustered regiments in the federal service during the Mexican War).

Frontier

President Kennedy's plan to improve the economy, fight racial discrimination, and explore space

Drive

the movement of a herd of cattle from the ranch to the train