Steel Plow, Steam Shovel, Postage Stamp, Vulcanized Rubber

John Deere was born in Vermont in 1804. He became a town blacksmith in 1825. The scratch plow was the first basic plow, but it didn't work in all the soils. So, John Deere invented the first steel plow in 1837. The soil did not stick to the polished steel. The steel plow was self-cleaning. John Deere tested his plow at his neighbor's farm. John Deere went into competition with his plow. John Deere's farm equipment is still used today.

William Otis Smith invented the Steam Shovel in 1835. The steam shovel is a steam-powered dirt-moving bucket. Steam engines are controlled by human operators. Like a movable crane. The steam-powered shovel made tall buildings possible like the empire state building. Road-building in the US used steam-powered shovels.

Rowland Hill was born in England in 1795. He invented the Postage Stamp in 1838. Before the postage stamp was invented, the cost of mail depended on how much it weighed. Also, the person receiving it would have to pay for it. Now the person sending it would have to pay the price for sending mail. Stamps were introduced in the US in 1947. The mail0order catalog developed in the late 1800s.

Charles Goodyear was born in Connecticut in 1800. He invented vulcanized rubber in 1839. It was very durable and not brittle. Goodyear died in 1860. The Goodyear company was formed in 1898. It produced bicycle tires and poker chips.