Chapter 17Mexicano Contributions to the Southwest

Terms1. batea2. riffle box3. arrastra4. Tejanos5. vaqueros6. rodeo7. irrigation8. adobe9. community property

bateaA gold pan in which miners scooped up mud from streambeds to find gold.

riffle boxA long box crossed with pieces of wood called riffles that trapped gold as mud washed through the box.

arrastraA grinding mill used by miners to crush rock so they could easily remove gold.

TejanosMexicanos who lived and cattle ranched in Texas.

vaquerosCowboys who cared for cattle in the Southwest.

rodeoOne of the vaqueros’ most important job, is the rodeo, or roundup of cattle.

irrigationA system for bringing water to farmland by artificial means, such as using a dam to trap water and ditches to channel it to fields.

adobeMexicano’s main building material is a mixture of earth, grass, and water that is shaped into bricks and baked in the sun.

community propertyMexican law said that all property acquired during a marriage was “community property.” If a couple separated, half of that property belonged to the wife, half to the husband.

Contributions1. Mining2. Cattle Ranching3. The Cowboy4. Sheep Raising5. Irrigated Farming6. Mexican Food7. Spanish Architecture8. Mexican Laws9. Mexicano Entertainment

MiningAmericans knew nothing about the mining

techniques, of quartz, silver, and copper.

Mexicanos introduced the batea, riffle box, and arrastra, to make quartz, silver and copper mining easier.

Cattle RanchingThe Spanish brought cattle ranching to the

West.

Spanish cattle adapted well to dry conditions.

They brought the tradition of the roundup and branding.

Branding cattle avoided conflict over ownership.

The CowboyThe Spanish language provided useful new

terms- stampede, corral, and lasso. Ten gallon hats, or sombrero, shaded eyes

and were used as a water pail or pillow. Chaps protected the legs. Boots slipped easily into

stirrups.Ponchos provided

protection from the rain.The lariat was used to

rope cattle, and saddle horns anchored lariats.

Sheep RaisingThe Spanish raised new varieties of sheep-

merinos & churros.These sheep adapted well to the dry environment in

the West. They used the Spanish system

or large scale production of sheep raising.Wool production was profitable-

business production soared from 5 million to 22 million

pounds a year from 1862 to 1880.

Irrigated FarmingCitrus fruits introduced by the Spanish

thrived in the sunny Southwest.

The Spanish introduced the “Mexican System” of irrigation.

It allowed the cultivation of deserts.

Mexican Food Settlers enjoyed the appealing flavors of Spanish

foods.

The Spanish combined New World foods, such as corn, tomatoes, and chocolate, with Spanish foods, such as oranges, grapes, and olives.

Other New World foods included peanuts, vanilla, beans, squash, avocados, coconuts, sunflower seeds and chili peppers.

Spanish Architecture

Spanish style homes had thick walls, red tile roofs, rounded arches, patios, and verandas made from adobe brick.

Adobe bricks and design were well suited for the Southwest climate.

Mexican LawsMany American laws did not work in the West.

No mining laws existed.

The Spanish created mining laws, water laws, and community property laws.

Community property laws were adopted because many American settlers wanted to share the gains of marriage.

Mexicano Entertainment Settlers enjoyed the music, color, and energy of

the dances, and the excitement of the rodeo. Dances included the corrido, jota, fandango,

La bamba, and Mexican hat dance. Mexicanos also celebrated fiestas like

Cinco de Mayo.The rodeo was an

exciting event where cowboys competed in calf roping, bull riding, and bronco busting.