GCSE History: The American West - Later developments in the West, c1876–c1895

In this final deck on the American West, we'll cover the period from 1876 to 1895. This is the era where the frontier is finally closed. We'll explore the end of the open range cattle industry, famous gunfights like the one at the OK Corral, and the last tragic conflicts between the US Army and the Plains Indians, such as the Battle of the Little Big Horn and the Wounded Knee Massacre. Finally, we'll look at the policies that aimed to destroy the traditional way of life for the Plains Indians for good.

As more people settled on the Plains, farming had to adapt to the harsh environment. Two key inventions were crucial. The first was the steel windmill, which could pump water from deep underground. The second, and perhaps more important, was barbed wire, invented in 1874. On the vast, treeless Plains, barbed wire was a cheap and effective way to fence off land, protect crops from cattle, and mark property boundaries. This invention was a direct challenge to the open range.

The open range cattle industry, with its long cattle drives and vast unfenced areas, was brought to a dramatic end by a single event. The winter of 1886 to 1887 was incredibly harsh, with deep snow and freezing temperatures. Cattle could not reach the grass to graze and millions died. This event is known as the 'Great Die-Up'. For your exam, this is the key turning point that ended the open range. After this, ranching changed to a smaller-scale system with smaller herds, fenced-in ranches, and hay grown for winter feed.