The Rise and Fall of the Texas Longhorn
Beth LaDow, author of The Medicine Line: Life and Death on a North American Borderland
This essay will highlight the relationship between the Texas Longhorn and the evolution of the cattle ranching industry, and explore the linkages between economic systems and the biology of domesticated animals. It will also investigate how popular beliefs about cattle ranching and the West solidified the centrality of beef in the American diet, and serve as a meditation on environmental and business history.