Life On The Western Frontier Essay

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Pages: 4

Life on the Western Frontier The daily life for people living on the Western Frontier was consumed with hard work accompanied with difficulty and struggle. Most were farmers, miners, cattleman, that were all in search of a better life. There were many social and economic influences that contributed to the lifestyle that was established by each division. Early pioneering families were self-sufficient. They grew their own food and supplied themselves with fuel, clothing, and shelter. Most farmers settled near or around rail depots so that transportation was not an issue when transporting their crops to local markets. Farming took a lot of hard work and usually consisted of the entire household contributing which included both the women and children. Settlers arose with the sun and worked diligently on the farm until the sun went down. A barn was the most important thing for a farmer because it typically stored and protected their animals …show more content…
The open plains were perfect for raising their herds. Life on the ranch was similar to that on a farm. It too took the whole household to take care of the responsibilities of running a ranch. Most live in small log cabins with dirt floors. Unlike farmers, ranchers resided farther away from depots because they could essentially rely on the use of their animals to drive them long distances. There was occasional disputes between farmers and cattleman; herds polluted the land that farmers sought to protect in order to grow crops whereas ranchers needed the land for grazing. Farmer’s also opposed open range and built fences to separate properties. Another difference was that ranchers could live in drier climates in which their land was intended for grazing not growing. The invention of barbed wire made things a little simpler for both the rancher as well as the farmer. Common hardship for both the farmer and rancher was that the livestock was susceptible to