Barbed Wire

  Patents for improved wire fencing were first granted in November of 1868 to a man named Michael Kelly. Slight improvements continued until November of 1874 with Joseph Gidden's model. This fencing tool helped to change the wild west as much as the rifle did previously. Without proper fencing livestock grazed freely and was hard to contain. Land was also open to other foraging animals the farmers didn't own. People couldn't populate areas because they risked interwinding livestock with the neighbors. It helped change the west from the previous vast and undefined land to one capable of supporting farmers and ranchers adequately. Wood was not an option due to the lack of trees; farmers couldn't find enough wood to build their homes let alone fences spanning miles in length. Wire was easy to obtain and set up was nothing in comparison to other fencing means.
   Michael Kelly made the first patented and helpful improvement to the wired fence. He twisted two strands of sturdy wire to create a cable of barbs. This was far superior to the previous method which involved a single wire that was easily broken by the weight of the cattle. Joseph Gidden made an improvement by inventing a method for locking the wires in place. In addition he made a way to mass produce his addition to the invention making it even easier to obtain the wire. Gidden's final step in the barb wire patent still lives on today after he fought off potential inventors in court.
   Unfortunately barbed wire further squeezed off Native American's from land they had previously used, they began to call it "devil's rope." The army used the wire for the war effort to help cut off enemies or intruders from the land in which they were occupying. Today it is still used in the military, it is also used to establish territorial boundaries and military confinement to name a few.
   In my opinion barbed wire is one of the most intuitive and productive inventions of the gilded age. It redefined land rights and usage by enabling territory and confining livestock. It's amazing that almost exact replica's of the equipment patented in 1874 is still used today.

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Let's Look at an Owner.

   Let's Look at an Owner.

 This article takes a look at Leland Stanford. To a normal person he seemed slow to think, he was a deliberate thinker and was characterized by a plodding nature. However he relished public life, this was his best service to the Central Pacific. His campaign was aided by supporters, including Abraham Lincoln. In the end he was named President but bad blood arose between his runner up, Huntington. On January 8, 1863 Governor Stanford he officially started the Central Pacific's construction. However a few bad decisions resulted in his discharge from the Government office. With his release from office he focused solely on the railroads. However his lack of motivation resulted in the force of work upon his Associates. He agreed with Young to provide Mormon laborers when the associates feared they had made a mistake by not keeping a delegate in the camp. Stanford's nature was frustrating to his Associates. He seemed lazy and not open to discussion, they stated most of the work was left to his successors. However when Huntington questioned him and he showed him the progress it was nothing short of impressive. He didn't have good chemistry with his Associates and Huntington viewed him as an insult. These disputes only strengthened when he started dipping into company holdings to fund a private institution. However, Leland Stanford University came to be the most famous of the Big Five Legacy, that long outlasted those of his Associates.
 
   Some Cons of business ownership was the lack of regulations to provide rights to owners. Also there was often disputes over land with the Indians, the workers risked attack and possible death. Pros for one could be regulations but relating to workers. The owners probably didn't have to pay them benefits. And they could pay them little money for the amount of work they were doing. If something went wrong there isn't much the workers could do but quit if they weren't bound by a contract. In addition owners could hire immigrants and pay them less then they would pay a citizen.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/biography/tcrr-stanford/

Weapons of Civil War

     The Civil War was a battle of old technology against the modern weaponry that was beginning to take place. Basic weaponry like knives and swords still saw their use while new-age weapons, like the ever evolving rifle was even more prevalent. I see railroads, the development of factories and the use of the telegram as unspoken weaponry in this war.
     Civil war cannons were common among the two sides. Although they weren't used as often, cannons were sure to embed fear into the enemy. Rifles include the springfield, the Colt, the Lorenz and more. One key feature that made this war so deadly was the invention (Eli Whitney) of interchangeable parts. This allowed guns to be prepared and replaced more frequently. A huge component was the Minie ball. An entire industry arose because of this piece of technology. Men could shoot 3,000 an hour. It allowed for much quicker and easier reloading than previously used bullets. They were delivered in millions and inflicted more damage with greater accuracy.
   In the end the North's ability to produce more weapons with a greater number of factories and railroad's was the deciding factor. Many argue the South had better trained men but with the North's heavily weighted(in their favor) population there isn't much the South could do. This war catapulted the world into a new age of weaponry, wether it was good or bad I can't say but change was without question.

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http://www.historynet.com/civil-war-weapons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmoFVdxvARo