Rivalry Between Homesteaders and Cattle Ranchers (Edexcel GCSE History)

By the 1870s, the Plains region of the USA was home to various groups with conflicting interests.

Cattle barons were wealthy men who owned large cattle ranches. Many cattle barons got land from the US government or railway companies. They utilised the open range of the Plains for grazing their cattle. They employed cowboys to drive their cattle along trails to railheads or markets for sale.

Homesteaders acquired 160 acres of land through the Homestead Act of 1862. Homesteaders sought to establish farms and cultivate the Plains for agriculture. Cattle barons often clashed with homesteaders. Lots of cattle barons resented the homesteaders settling on grazing lands.

Sheep farmers were another group that utilised the Plains. Homesteaders believed that sheep were damaging to the environment. Sheep competed for grazing resources with cattle.

Conflicts arose between all three groups. These were called the Range Wars. Tension sometimes escalated to violence. The US government intervened in some of these conflicts but tension continued.