Week 19 Summary Essay

             There were four more inventions that I learned about this week, and they were roller skates, barbed wire, the cowboy hat, and pasteurization. The inventors were James Plimpton, Michael Kelly, John B. Stetson, and Louis Pasteur. Here is a paragraph about each of them.

             The first thing I learned about this week was roller skates. The Civil War killed 600,000 men between 1861 and 1865. After some European attempts, James Plimpton invented roller skates in 1863. They are simple, relatively safe shoes-on-wheels that allow people to have fun and play sports. Plimpton understood people needed to relax and have fun after the war ended and marketed new skating rinks. Roller skating combined with Disco music to produce Roller Disco in the 1970s, and it’s still very popular today.

             The second thing I learned about this week was barbed wire. Cowboys and farmers moved out west to raise cattle and farm, but the cattle couldn’t be contained cheaply. Michael Kelly invented the barbed wire fence in 1868 to manage cattle. It’s cheap, made of steel, with sharp barbes attached, nailed to wooden posts and stretched tight. This was much cheaper than wood fences. The fence was marketed through public demonstrations and traveling salesmen. It brought about the end of the Wild West and was also used in warfare.

               I also learned about something that I don’t think anyone would think of as an invention: the cowboy hat! Cheap land and the idea of “Manifest Destiny” drove settlers west and led to expanded US territory. John B. Stetson invented the cowboy hat in 1865 after noting the problems with all the hats the cowboys wore. They are waterproof, keep the sun off your face, head, and shoulders, and keep your head warm and dry in the rain. Stetson advertised his hat using pictures, by sending demo units to store owners, and by simple word of mouth. The cowboy hat became iconic of the wild west and American individualism and is very popular in many areas of the United States today.

              Finally, the last thing I learned about this week was pasteurization. In the 1800s, people still thought sickness was caused by bad odors and spoilage came from spontaneous generation of organisms from organic matter. Louis Pasteur invented pasteurization to preserve wine. It heats a substance enough to kill microbes inside that cause food to spoil. It was applied to wine and beer initially to increase their shelf life but was extended to milk before the 1900s. Almost all dairy products are now pasteurized today to extend their shelf life.

              As you can see, I have learned about four more inventions, but I think my favorite one was roller skates. It is amazing how someone invented something so fun right after the Civil War had ended! I think that is just incredible! I can’t wait to learn about more incredibly awesome inventions next week.