Barbed Wire Revolutionizes Farming and Western Settlement

Barbed wire revolutionized farming and the settlement of the American West by providing a solution to the fencing problem faced by farmers. Prior to the invention of barbed wire, settlers found it difficult to protect their crops from wandering cattle. Various attempts like sage orange hedges and smooth wire fencing had limited success. In 1873, Joseph Glidden created barbed wire, a design with sharp metal barbs twisted around smooth wire that proved effective in keeping cattle out. Barbed wire helped settle the West by allowing farmers to claim and protect their land, but it also led to tensions between farmers and cattlemen, resulting in the fence-cutting wars. Ultimately, barbed wire transformed the landscape, making manifest destiny possible and changing the dynamics between settlers, Native Americans, and the open range.