McCormick, Cyrus Hall (1809–1884)

US inventor of the reaping machine 1831, which revolutionized 19th-century agriculture.

McCormick was born in Virginia. Encouraged by his father, who was an inventor, he produced in 1831 a hillside plough as well as the prototype for his reaping machine, which took nine years to perfect. He began manufacturing it in Chicago 1847. But in 1848, when his patent expired, he faced strong competition and only his good business sense kept him from being overwhelmed by other manufacturers who had been waiting to encroach on his markets. He survived and prospered, and successfully introduced his reaping machine into Europe.

It was estimated that a McCormick reaper operated by a two-person crew and drawn by a single horse could cut as much corn as could 12 to 16 people with reap hooks.