USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Joseph Glidden’s innovative barbed wire was essential to the settlement of the American plains in the late nineteenth century. It proved to be an effective method of securely enclosing one’s property, thereby keeping cattle in and trespassers out.

Detailed explanation-2: -On October 27, 1873, a De Kalb, Illinois, farmer named Joseph Glidden submits an application to the U.S. Patent Office for his clever new design for a fencing wire with sharp barbs, an invention that will forever change the face of the American West.

Detailed explanation-3: -The use of barbed wire fences meant that cattle could be contained on enclosed ranches, which helped eliminate the open range and the long cattle drives associated with it. Barbed wire also kept new ranchers out, and reduced labor costs, as fewer cowboys were needed to supervise and herd the cattle.

Detailed explanation-4: -In 1874, Glidden patented the first practical design for barbed wire. The invention dramatically reduced the costs of separating cattle from crops and thus the costs of enforcing property rights to land.