From our comfortable viewpoint in 2012, the United States of 1862 sounds wretchedly backward: Most of the population lived and labored in rural areas. Water and sewer services were almost nonexistent. Small children worked in coal mines. Life expectancy was a miserable 44 years (34 years for slaves). Civil War dominated the news.

Yet three-quarters of the population could read (for instance, such fine publications as Scientific American). Service and manufacturing businesses were growing rapidly. Thousands of miles of railways and telegraph wires crisscrossed the country, moving people, goods, news and ideas. The ideals of learning and progress were enshrined in the U.S. Constitution: “to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts.”

Inventions were a cornerstone of Progress. Any device that could save labor or improve some process or product could bring fortune and even fame to the successful inventor. Agriculture had its share of hopeful farmer/inventors, as the following slide show of agricultural improvements from 1862 attests.

» View the Agricultural Inventions from 1862 Slide Show

3 Comments

1. 1. aarankine 02:04 PM 9/20/12

   (Slide 12... The spelling of "principles" should probably be fixed.)
   
   I enjoyed "walking through the exhibition" otherwise.
   
   

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2. 2. greenhome123 12:56 PM 10/9/12

   unfortunately, the most recent agricultural methods involve use of diesel or gas powered equipment to grow and harvest crops that are been genetically modified to be able to withstand being sprayed with RoundUp weed killer their entire lives. It is funny that people were concerned about farmers becoming lazy when the "lazy plow" sit down horse powered plow was invented. If only they cold see how lazy modern farmers are, and how dependent on inorganic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and immigrant farm labor they have become.

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3. 3. cedrick 02:16 PM 10/28/12

   They may need to rethink the way that stump extractor is rigged.

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