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Get out a scratch piece of paper…. List the top 5 natural resources used/consumed by humans (with 1 being the natural resource used the most and 5 being the resource used 5 th most) 5. Coal – 188 years left 4. Phosphorus – 50 to 100 years 3. Natural gas – 58.6 years 2. Oil – 46.2 years
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Get out a scratch piece of paper… • List the top 5 natural resources used/consumed by humans (with 1 being the natural resource used the most and 5 being the resource used 5th most) 5. Coal – 188 years left 4. Phosphorus – 50 to 100 years 3. Natural gas – 58.6 years 2. Oil – 46.2 years 1. Freshwater – 1.8 billion people living in areas with absolute water scarcity by 2025
Settling the West1865-1900 Chapter 13 Section 2: Farming the Great Plains
Geography of the Plains • Many people considered the Great Plains to be the “Great American Desert” and the land was uninhabitable. • Rainfall on the Plains averages less than 20 inches per year • Trees & large vegetation grow naturally only along rivers and streams. • Why would this be a problem for potential farmers?
The Beginning of Settlement • During the late 1800s several factors convinced people to try their luck with farming the Great Plains • Construction of railroads • A decade of above average rainfall • Homestead Act - $10 can get you 160 acres of land. • ~$150 today • Cost for an acre of land in Kansas today? • $2,000 - $4,000
The Wheat Belt • By the 1860s, farmers on the Plains were employing newly designed steel plows, seed drills, reapers, and threshing machines. • New inventions allowed large landholders to make quick profits because it sped up the harvest. • Wheat became the most profitable crop in the Great Plains Reaper was mass-produced in Plano, IL in 1831 Plano High School’s mascot = Reaper
The Wheat Belt • Top 3 wheat producers in the U.S. in 2011 • Kansas • North Dakota • Montana
Quick Review • Which of these states would NOT be considered a part of the Great Plains:Nebraska, North Dakota, Indiana, Oklahoma • What were two reasons why the Great Plains were originally given the nickname “The Great American Desert”? • What factors convinced people to farm the Great Plains? • How did new inventions impact farming in the Great Plains? Little rainfall, vegetation only grows along rivers Railroads, unusually abundant rain, cheap land Made it more profitable, helped make wheat a cash crop