Lode
a mass or strip of ore sandwiched between layers of rock
Ore
a mineral mined for the valuable substance it contains, such as Silver
Vigilante
people who take the law into their own hands
Ghost Town
former mining town that became deserted
Subsidy
grant of money from the government to a person or a company for an action intended to benefit the public
Transcontinental
extending across a continent
Open Range
land not fenced or divided into lots
Brand
a symbol burned into an animal's hide to show ownership
Vaquero
Hispanic ranch hand
Homestead
to acquire a piece of U.S public land by living on and cultivating
Sodbuster
a name given to the Plains Farmer
Dry Farming
a way of farming dry land in which seeds are planted deep in ground where there is some moisture
Nomadic
moving place to place with no permanent home
Reservation
an area of public land sets aside for Native Americans
National Grange
the first farmers organization in the United States
Cooperative
store where farmers bought products from each other; an enterprise owned and operated by those who use it's services
Populist Party
U.S political party formed in 1892 representing mainly farmers, favoring free coinage of silver and government control of railroad and other monopolies
Free Silver
the unlimited production of Silver coins