The cattle trails of the old west, including the Chisholm Trail and the Great Western Cattle Trail, were adventurous but also a business. The cattle of Texas and Oklahoma were not worth very much in Texas, because there were so many cows there. However, if cowboys could get their herds to the railroads in Kansas, then they could sell the cattle to people on the east coast who were willing to pay a much higher price for the cattle. It is an example of simple supply and demand. If the supply is high, then the price will be low, but if the supply is low, then the price will be higher.

The cattle trails began after the Civil War as a result of the railroads that were being built across the country. This improved transportation allowed them to make more money. It was a more simple invention that played a large part in ending the cattle drives. Farmers began using a new kind of fences on their land, barbed wire. As more and more ranches became fenced, it became more and more difficult to herd cattle across the plains.

When the Civil War ended the slaves were free, but many had no place to go and no way to survive without continuing to work for their former slave owners. Many blacks decided to head west and became black cowboys. To learn more about the black cowboys you can visit the link here.