American cowboys originated from ex-Confederate soldiers and ex-slaves seeking work after the Civil War. The cattle industry slowly developed on the Great Plains until the 1860s, when demand for beef increased in the East. This led cattle ranchers to expand their operations, driving herds from Texas to railheads in Kansas. The establishment of forts and reservations reduced threats from Plains Indians, allowing the cattle industry to supply meat to the army. Joseph McCoy helped solve the problem of moving cattle by establishing Abilene, Kansas as a railhead in 1867. Later, barbed wire fencing allowed homesteads to expand, ending the need for open-range cattle drives and the "golden age of cowboys" by