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Get out a scratch piece of paper…

Explore the utilization of natural resources in the Great Plains during the settlement period, focusing on wheat production, innovations, and challenges. Discover how pioneers overcame arid conditions and embraced new technologies for agricultural success.

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Get out a scratch piece of paper…

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  1. 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

  2. Settling the West1865-1900 Chapter 13 Section 2: Farming the Great Plains

  3. Geography of the Great Plains

  4. 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?

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. The Wheat Belt • Top 3 wheat producers in the U.S. in 2011 • Kansas • North Dakota • Montana

  8. 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

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