Economic Implications of the 1892 Invasion of Northern Wyoming, Essay Example

The 1892 invasion of Northern Wyoming is a historical epitome of the influence that economic power and strength has on political and legal structures within any given society. The actions of the cattle leads one to conclude that they were the “Robber Barons of Wyoming”. A culmination of several events led to the creation of unfavorable economic conditions for the cattle barons. In a bid to save their investments, wealth and control of the open range, they opted to use sheer force and their political collateral to tilt things in their favor.

Due to the increase in prices for cattle meet, most of the cattle barons overstocked the open ranges. This would lead to a negative long-term effect on the prices of meat as the laws of demand and supply would dictate a reduction in prices due to excessive supply of meat. Feeling threatened by small scale cattle owners, the cattle barons opted to forcibly deny these small scale cattle owners access to the free range. Their own actions led to the demise of their industry, an act they would have to reverse by accepting these small scale cattle owners into their association WSGA (Wyoming Stock Growers Association).

The economic consequences of having so much power concentrated in the Wyoming Stock Growers were visible in the gradual decline in the cattle meat industry in Johnson County. The cattle barons, having political collateral in the form of senators who were former presidents and members of the WSGA, decided to hijack the cattle industry by attempting to force small-scale cattle owners out of the free range. This tension between the small scale cattle owners and cattle barons crippled the cattle meet industry to the point where trade could not be conducted due to general distrust amongst the traders.