History of the United States II / Unit 2 USH2 0163 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Plows and Windmills
Captions available
The idea
Plains farming depended on new tools: steel plows to cut the grasses' dense roots, and windmill pumps to lift water from deep wells.
In practice
James Oliver's chilled plow of the late eighteen sixties, following John Deere's steel-faced plows of eighteen thirty-eight.
Where people slip
Digital History notes wells drilled several hundred feet into the ground. Drilling and windmills cost more than most farmers could afford.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
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