[ 6.7 ] A Hurricane and the Oil Boom

[ 6.7 ] A Hurricane and the Oil Boom

Learning Objectives

• Understand why the Galveston Hurricane caused a large amount of destruction.• Explain the ways in which the Galveston Hurricane affected the development of Texas.• Describe some of the earliest uses for oil.• Explain the significance of the discovery of oil at Spindletop in 1901.• Explain how the oil industry contributed to the industrialization of Texas.

[ 6.7 ] A Hurricane and the Oil Boom

Key Terms

• barrier island• hurricanes• Galveston Hurricane• Spindletop Hill• wildcatters• roughnecks

The Galveston Hurricane of 1900

The city of Galveston is on Galveston Island, a barrier island that protects the Texas coast from the tides of the Gulf of Mexico. Galveston Bay is the largest bay on the Texas coast.

The Galveston Hurricane of 1900

• A Major Port• A Leading City• Early Challenges• The Storm Approaches• The Hurricane Hits

The Galveston Hurricane of 1900

By 1900 Galveston was one of the busiest ports in the United States. More than $85 million in cotton was exported from Galveston that year.

The Galveston Hurricane of 1900

Analyzing Maps Which region of Texas was most likely to experience bad hurricanes? Identifying Patterns What geographic factors might explain that pattern?

After the Storm

The storm that hit Galveston moved north out of Texas. It remained a strong storm as it crossed Oklahoma and Kansas. After a few days, it passed into the North Atlantic. Meanwhile, Galveston was faced with death and destruction, and the challenge of rebuilding. The storm’s devastation, and the heroic efforts to recover from it, would have deep political, economic, and social impacts on Texas history.

After the Storm

• Death and Devastation• Rebuilding Galveston• A New Form of City Government

After the Storm

Powerful winds, rain, and flooding destroyed buildings during the Galveston Hurricane. Some 10,000 residents were left homeless.

A Boom Begins the Age of Oil

Spanish explorer Luis de Moscoso found oil in Texas in 1543. While stranded on the shore, Moscoso and his men saw oil floating on the surface of the water. They patched their leaking boats with the sticky slime.

A Boom Begins the Age of Oil

• Early Uses of Oil• Birth of the Oil Industry• Spindletop• The Lucas Gusher• Rush to Spindletop

A Boom Begins the Age of Oil

Analyze Data What was the most significant result of the discovery of oil at Spindletop? Cite Evidence What data supports your evaluation?

A Boom Begins the Age of Oil

The discovery of oil in Pennsylvania fields, like the one shown here, began the U.S. oil industry.

A Boom Changes the Economy

Oil would become a huge industry in Texas—and around the world. Technological innovations would create huge demand for this product. The oil would transform local economies and markets, and national markets as well.

A Boom Changes the Economy

• New Oil Companies• Cars Drive Demand for Gasoline• The Oil Industry’s Impact on the Economy• More Oil Fields Develop• Revenue for the State• Government Regulation

A Boom Changes the Economy

The discovery of oil had economic effects that reached beyond removing oil from the ground.

A Boom Changes the Economy

Anaylze Maps Which parts of the state likely benefited the most from oil discoveries?

Quiz: The Galveston Hurricane of 1900

Which statement about the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 is true?

A. It caused the deaths of fewer than one hundred people in Galveston.B. It hit Houston before reaching Galveston.C. It caused so much damage because Galveston is on an isthmus.D. It surprised everyone including the Galveston Weather Bureau.

Quiz: After the Storm

What did city officials do to protect Galveston from future storms?

A. They constructed a watchtower.B. They closed area bridges.C. They built a seawall.D. They expanded local highways.

Quiz: A Boom Begins the Age of Oil

Where did the oil industry in Texas first experience a “gusher”?

A. CorsicanaB. El PasoC. NacogdochesD. Spindletop Hill

Quiz: A Boom Changes the Economy

Which industry greatly increased the demand for gasoline in the early 1900s?

A. railroadB. automobileC. cottonseed oilD. agriculture