Figure 1.--Most power on Amerocan farms still came from horses in the 1910s, but for the first time we begin to see gas powered tractors that cold be purchased for use on family farms. Here we see a three-horse power rig. The Model-T Tin Lizzie has a 20-horse power engine. This gave the American farmer an unprecedented boost just in time tey were called on to save Europe from starving.

Americans began to mechanize agiculture in the late-19th century. But hiorses were still the main power source. Horses dominated Western agriculture for two millenia. It is why engines today are measured in horsepower. Even at the turn of the 20th cntury, the horse diminated American agriculture. There were attempted to motiorize, using steam engines, but it was just not practical. Then Hemry Ford intriducd the Model-T Tin Lizzy with the gasoline fiored internal combustion engine (1907). And by the 1910s we begin to see tractors powered by internal combustion engines. This made a huge difference. Especially because Fiord took a spcial engine in tractors. And unlike steam ebngines. A tractor fired by an internal combustion engine was some that was practical for a family farm. Ford took it as an almost religious challenge to develop a tractor for the small-scale family farmer. Ford Motor eas a corporation and Ford fespite his uinfluence and shares, could not convince the company to pursue this line of production. So Ford created an entirely new company---Henry Ford and Son, to build the first Fordson tractor (1917). They were lightweight and inexpensive. Fordsons soon became the most popular tractors in America. Improved mechanized equipment appears such as large open geared gas tractors (1910), closed gear tractors (1915), and small prairie combines (1918). Henry Ford's Model-T and country road building significantly increased the mobility of farmers and the access to small farm equipment like tractors.

Created: 1:26 AM 10/19/2024
Last updated: 1:26 AM 10/19/2024