1809-1884

American Inventor

Cyrus McCormick developed an agricultural reaper that mechanically cut crops. Farmers needed to harvest wheat soon after it ripened, and McCormick's reaper enabled them to cut the same amount of wheat in a day that required one person two weeks using hand tools. The mechanical reaper inspired the improvement of other farm machinery, encouraged farmers to migrate to unsettled western land, and allowed workers to shift from agricultural to business or industrial employment. Most significantly, the reaper helped farmers produce enough food to meet population demands.

A native of Rockbridge County, Virginia, McCormick was the son of Robert and Mary Ann (Hall) McCormick. His father was an inventor who patented blacksmith and farm tools. Attending school infrequently, McCormick worked with his father. The elder McCormick's unfulfilled goal was to develop a reaping machine. Other inventors were striving to accomplish this too...