You Asked:
Who invented barbed wire, and how is it made? — Jake, Winnipeg, Canada

Marshall Answered:
Barbed wire is one of those great inventions that we take completely for granted today. At the time, barbed wire created a revolution in farming by providing a cheap way to contain cows. Imagine trying to fence in cows on the North American plains without barbed wire. There were no trees or stones to build traditional walls and fences, and cows will walk right though normal wire. But barbed wire is nearly as cheap as normal wire while keeping cows away. The inventor was a man named Joseph F. Glidden, who patented the idea in 1874. This video shows you a barbed wired machine in operation. The machine spins the barbs onto a single strand of wire. Then that strand is twisted with a second strand to lock the barbs in place. For more info see: Barbed Wire