Standard 8.95 Lesson
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Printed: November 19, 2015
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C HAPTER
Chapter 1. Standard 8.95 Lesson
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Standard 8.95 Lesson
8.95 Analyze how significant inventors and their inventions, including barbed wire, the six shooter, windmills,
sod housing, and the steel plow changed life in the West. (C,E,H,P)
BARBED WIRE
As Americans moved westward to the new frontier and the cattle industry increased, the traditional
fencing materials became scarce and expensive. Barbed wire, first invented in 1867 by Lucien B.
Smith of Ohio, replaced these previous materials. In 1873 Joseph F. Glidden made modifications
to barbed wire and is credited with the invention as we know it today. Barbed wire helped out the
cattle rancher greatly by give them a cheaper and easier way to contain cattle.
TABLE 1.1:
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/barbwir
e.htm
Pictured Above: Barbed wire fencing
SIX SHOOTER
The six shooter was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. The Colt revolver, a many pistols are known by, gets its name
from its inventor. The pistol held 6 bullets in a revolver that would move after pulling the hammer back to full cock.
This would allow the gun to be shot multiple times without reloading. This pistol was used in the Texas border
conflicts and on both sides during the Civil War. Many cowboys and ranchers also used the six shooter.
WINDMILLS
Windmills have been around for a long time and date back until sixth to eighth centuries A.D. Windmills have been
improved over time. Daniel Halladay is credited with inventing a windmill that could pull water from hundreds of
feet below ground. Halladay’s factory is still in business today and is located in Illinois. Windmills were used by
ranchers and farmers on the new western frontier. The first windmills were wooden.
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Pictured Above: Halladay’s original wind engine patent
Read more if you would like to know more about windmills: http://www.ehow.com/info_8164355_his
tory-windmills-american-west.html#ixzz2wXzwXaH8
SOD HOUSING
As settlers moved westward there was not enough trees to build all the houses needed. On the prairie there were no
trees, but there was a thick layer of grass, called sod, growing on the ground. The earlier settlers had moved to the
areas with wooded rivers and streams. They were able to use the trees to build homes and fires. For the later settlers,
lumber was too expensive to buy to build homes. Settlers would cut the sod in bricks and use them to construct
houses. The sod would keep the houses cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Pictured Above: Sod house on the Great Plains
STEEL PLOW
The steel plow was invented by blacksmith John Deere in 1837. Most plows at the time were made of wood or iron.
The heavy sod in the Great Plains was tough and many plows broke. The soil would also stick to the plows and
farmers would continually have to clean the mud off of the blades. John Deere’s invention of the steel plow made
farming much easier because it was much stronger and lighter than previous plows.
Pictured Above: John Deere’s steel plow. The shape and steel blade made turning the earth in the Great Plain’s soil
much easier.
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