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The Cattle Enterprise and it's effect on United States History

The cattle industry of the western frontier with the help of the railroad was essential to the expansion of people to the west. Many things caused people to move onward into the unknown of the frontier. The gold rush and the transcontinental railroad were major pulls towards the west. Yet, some neglect the importance of the cattle industry of the time. The cattle industry not only changed how people consumed food but also was very influential to the expansion of people into the west.
Hearing of all of the numerous employment opportunities, chances to get rich quick and the promise of cheap land, people began to move west. After people realized that striking gold was not a big possibility they needed to find other work. Many young men were either hired by the railroad as a source of cheap labor, or they became cowboys. These cowboys lead the cattle drives to the railroads. Granted most of these young men left the cowboy life when they married, it still helped western expansio...

Posted by: Sylvia Schiavoni

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