When a client gave Samuel A. Maverick 400 cattle to settle a
$1,200 debt, the 19th-century south Texas lawyer had no use for them, so he
left the cattle unbranded and allowed them to roam freely (supposedly under the
supervision of one of his employees). Neighboring stockmen recognized their
opportunity and seized it, branding and herding the stray cattle as their own.
Maverick eventually recognized the folly of the situation and sold what was
left of his depleted herd, but not before his name became synonymous with such
unbranded livestock. By the end of the 19th century, the term maverick was
being used to refer to individuals who prefer to blaze their own trails.
