Ag History Timeline

  • Thresher

    Thresher

    Separates crops from their chaff and straw.
  • Eli Whitney

    Eli Whitney

    Invented the cotton gin, a machine that removes the cotton seeds from cotton fiber.
  • Thomas Jefferson.

    Thomas Jefferson.

    Invented the iron plow, which dug even deeper into the soil, and was the third president of the United States.
  • Cyrus McCormick

    Cyrus McCormick

    Invented the reaper, a machine that cuts small grain.
  • Planter/Seeder

    Planter/Seeder

    A machine used to plant/seed fields quickly.
  • Combine

    Combine

    A combination of the reaper and thresher.
  • John Deere

    John Deere

    Invented the steel plow, which let farmers cut through Midwest prairie soil.
  • Barbed Wire

    Barbed Wire

    Contained sharp points to discourage livestock from touching fences.
  • Anna Baldwin

    Anna Baldwin

    Invented the milking machine to replace hand milking.
  • George Washington Carver

    A world-famous chemist who made important agricultural discoveries and inventions.
  • Benjamin Holt

    Benjamin Holt

    Invented the tractor, which became the source of power for belt-driven machines as well as for pulling.