Final answer:
The historical term for moving cattle from Texas grazing fields to railroad stockyards for sale to eastern cities is known as cattle drives. This practice was fundamental to the development of the American West and transitioned into large-scale ranching and centralized meatpacking industries with the invention of barbed wire and the expansion of the railroads.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cattle Drives and the Transformation to Ranching::
The process described in the question is known historically as cattle drives, a significant aspect of the ranching industry that became particularly famous during the 1860s and 1870s. These drives involved moving longhorn cattle from the grazing fields of Texas to railroad stockyards in order to transport the beef to major eastern cities for consumption. The Chisholm Trail, among others, was a prominent route used for these drives, leading to emerging 'cowtowns' such as Abilene, Kansas, which provided amenities and services for the cattle industry and cowboys.
With the introduction of barbed wire in 1874 and the expansion of the railroads, the era of cattle drives began to fade, giving way to large-scale ranching and commercial meatpacking industries. Ranchers could confine cattle in feedlots, resulting in a shift from transporting live animals to shipping processed beef. Companies like ARMOUR and Swift reduced costs by shipping sides of beef to the East, a transition that ultimately changed American dietary habits while also impacting local butchers.
As a testament to the transformation of the American West, ranching played a pivotal role in the economic development of this period. The transition from free-range cattle drives to fenced, large-scale ranch operations marked a shift in both the cattle industry and the American frontier, representing the move towards modern agriculture and business practices.