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Invention of Barbed Wire
As population grew in the West, there was a serious need for clear land division. The free range days were coming to an end with the invention of barbed wire in Illinois in 1874 by Joseph Glidden.[1] There were many others known for the idea, however, Glidden was noted for the patent. The “devil’s rope,” as the Indians called it, helped ranchers divide their lands. [1] 1 OpenStax, Making a Living in Gold and Cattle. http://cnx.org/contents/8186d180-35dd-4727-817f-662f2831aac8@3. -
Invention of the Metal Detector
Alexander Graham Bell is noted as the inventor of the metal detector while tasked to find a bullet in President Garfield after his attempted assassination in Baltimore. Years prior, Bell came across a way to electronically detect metal but his device was unable to locate the bullet. [1] [1]"Alexander Graham Bell Tries to Save James Garfield," HistoryNet, April 14, 2016, , accessed June 23, 2017, http://www.historynet.com/alexander-graham-bell-james-garfield.htm. -
Invention of the Airplane
The airplane was invented by Wilbur and Orville Wright in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. According to staff writers at History.com, the location was key due to the strong winds in the area. The brothers spent time watching birds and their wings to try and replicate the mechanics behind it. They had their first successful flight that lasted 59 seconds and reached 852 feet. -
Invention of the Assembly Line
While attempting to gain efficiency and reduce the price of his Model T cars, Henry Ford came up with an assembly line in Michigan. He broke up each step of making the car and gave one person just one job. Once that task was done, the car was passed on to the next person. Making cars went from half a day to only 2 hours. [1] [1]"Ford’s assembly line starts rolling," History.com, , accessed June 23, 2017, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fords-assembly-line-starts-rolling. -
Invention of the Polygraph
The modern polygraph was invented by John Larson in California in 1921. He was employed by the Berkeley Police Department to help with interrogations. His design measured changes in respiration rate, blood pressure and pulse and recorded these changes on paper. -
Invention of Frozen Foods
Frozen foods were invented in the 1920s and turned into a business in 1929 by Clarence Birdseye in the fishing town of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Birdseye came up with his methods after watching fish freeze in cold outside temperatures while people were ice-fishing. Once the frozen fish was thawed and cooked, it tasted fresh. This market eventually caught on and boomed during the 1940s when men were off at war and woman were working and in need of faster methods of preparing meals.
