The steel plow. John Deere, born in Vermont in 1804, went to congregationalist college and became a town blacksmith in 1825. Insight: polished needles are easier to use. In 1837 he invented the steel plow. Prairie soil was extremely fertile, stuck to the moldboard, and soil didn’t stick to the polished steel plow.

The steam shovel. Pelham, Massachusetts settled by Scottish Presbyterians in 1738. William Smith Otis, born in Pelham 1813, became fascinated with mechanical inventions at a certain age. one day wanted to create a bigger and faster way of shoveling so he began inventing and then at the age of 22 in 1835 he invented the steam shovel and then within a year of receiving patent he died. William’s relatives hung to the patent for 40 years.

The postage stamp. Rowland Hill born in England in 1795, went to work for the government and he promoted educational reform. he had generally good mechanical skills and his father was friends with a inventor called Thomas. he wanted to fix a problem a novel invention the postage stamp. The postage stamps were introduced to the US in 1847 and it helped westward expansion. The mail-order catalog in the late 1800s developed.

The vulcanized rubber. Charles Goodyear, born in Connecticut 1800, was mechanically minded entrepreneurial and he improved a company’s rubber life preservers, he was determined to solve a “sticky” problem. one day he mixed chemicals with some rubber and he was so excited that he dropped the rubber on a stove but when he picked it up it was hard and so in 1839 he invented the vulcanized rubber. Vulcanized rubber was very industrial in processes.