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Homesteaders: Living and Farming on the Plains - Coggle Diagram
Homesteaders: Living and Farming on the Plains
Why Did People Move to the Plains
The Homestead Act (1862) offered people 160 acres of land if they farmed it for 5 years and paid a small fee. Single women could also apply - 10-15% of homesteads were owned by women.
Cheap land was available to buy on the Plains. It was an alternative to buying more expensive land in California and Oregon.
Railroad companies advertised the Plains as a great place to farm land. Adverts showing what could be done by moving to places like Kansas enticed many to make the move.
Ex-slaves could buy land to farm and escape the South.
The 1860s were and unusually good period for rain on the Plains making it a more desirable place to go.
New technology allowed water to be extracted from the ground more easily.
A banking crisis meant that many people were out of work.
Railroads allowed people to sell farmed goods to cities more easily.
Homesteaders Set Up New Lives on the Plains but Faced Lots of Difficulties
The Plains were a long ways from big towns - getting supplies was difficult. Most people had to improvise and find a way to survive. Families often became lonely and isolated.
There were very few trees on the Plains so it was hard to build houses. Houses were small - the lack of trees meant it was hard to keep warm in winter as there was a lack of firewood.
There was a lack of clean water meaning that diseases like cholera (a waterborne disease) and typhoid (a bacterial disease) were very common. Diseases like pneumonia and scarlet fever were also common.
The climate was harsh - in winter there were freezing temperatures and deep snow. In the summer, temperatures could rise to 30 degrees Celsius. Droughts were common.
Keeping clean was difficult - most houses had an earth floor. Mice, fleas and bed bugs were common. A lack of water meant it was hard to keep clen.
Farming was hard. The Plains were open - this meant harsh winds could completely destroy crops. In the summer, extreme heat could cause fires on the prairie grass and crops struggled to grow as there was so little water. Ploughing the land to grow crops was extremely hard as the land had not yet been farmed before. Buffalo and wild cattle could trample across the farmland and ruin a year's crops.
Locusts swarmed across the Plains (1874-77) destroying crops, leather boots and even window frames.
Homesteaders Came Up with Many Clever Solutions to Survive on the Plains
Homesteads (houses built on the Plains) were built of sod (earth) instead of wood. The sod houses could be built quickly and easily at a low cost.
As more people moved to the Plains, farmers grouped together to build schools and churches and communities began to be created.
Wind pumps were used to harness the power of the prairie winds. They could be drilled into the ground and draw up clean water from deep down.
Farmers learned dry-farming techniques and brought over new types of wheat such as Turkey Red, which needed less water.
Barbed wire fencing was used as a cheap way to enclose land.
Homesteaders worked together to plough land and pooled their resources and labour.
Women helped with ploughing - something they would not have done in the East or in Europe.
Settlers shared crops if one family was unable to plant in time for spring.
Children were given the task of collecting buffalo chips (dung) which could be burned for cooking or heating.