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The cowboy played an important role during the era of U. Though they originated in Mexico, American cowboys created a style and reputation all their own. In , shortly after the Spanish arrived in the Americas, they began to build ranches to raise cattle and other livestock. Horses were imported from Spain and put to work on the ranches.

Vaqueros were hired by ranchers to tend to the livestock and were known for their superior roping, riding and herding skills. By the early s, ranching made its way to present-day Texas , New Mexico , Arizona and as far south as Argentina. When the California missions started in , livestock practices were introduced to more areas in the West. During the early s, many English-speaking settlers migrated to the West and adopted aspects of the vaquero culture, including their clothing style and cattle-driving methods.

Cowboys came from diverse backgrounds and included African-Americans, Native Americans, Mexicans and settlers from the eastern United States and Europe. Cowboys herded and rounded up livestock that were transported by rail around the country for sale. To distinguish what cattle belonged to which ranch, cowboys would brand the animals by burning a special mark into their hides. It took between eight and 12 cowboys to move 3, head of cattle along cattle drives. By the time the Civil War ended in , the Union Army had largely used up the supply of beef in the North, increasing the demand for beef.

The expansion of the meat-packing industry also encouraged consumption of beef.