History of Barbed Wire (Patreon)

Joseph Glidden and the History of Barbed Wire

During the twentieth century, barbed wire became the symbol of war, death, destruction and human suffering. We all know the imagery from the first world war, the no-mans-land littered with barbed wire and bodies hanging in it. But it didn’t just remain in the First World War, after all, barbed wire is insanely effective and cost-efficient. During the second world war it was eagerly used for concentration camps, and after the war, the iron curtain and the primitive version of the Berlin wall consisted of barbed wire. And it is still used to protect borders and to imprison dangers to society even today. But the invention of this symbol of war wasn’t out of any military necessities. During the late 19th century a businessman and cattle-rancher from the United States wanted to keep his cattle in a certain area and did some experimenting. Little did he know his invention would not just change his personal fortune, but the history of the United States and the entire world. ►Consider Supporting HoH: https://www.patreon.com/HouseofHistory ►My Twitter: https://twitter.com/HouseofHistory1 My videos tend to get arbitrarily demonetized. That is why I decided to open up a Patreon where people can support the channel. If you decide to pledge as little as 1$/month you will gain access to a monthly series exclusive to my Patrons! Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 0:56 History of Barbed Wire Watch my documentary series: ►History of Prussia playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLazn7eofVtjJjSlui3iOOz0P3KI7-v3o5 ►End of Empire - Downfall of the Qing Dynasty playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLazn7eofVtjLnVJY6NyQX8JlVApf40DLs ►World War 2 playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLazn7eofVtjLYTXde713nRftdAPj7YW_a ►Hitler's Spies playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLazn7eofVtjJGQ4c1q7mQhTh5vM54_17o The content of this video covers events, people or concepts via a lecture-style presentation that is educational and historical in nature. Every video is original content by House of History. The events relating to conflict in this video are portrayed in their historical context without either value judgment or an ideological message attached to it. There is no intent to shock, upset or disgust. The goal of my channel is to make interesting lecture-style videos, no more, no less. Thank you for taking the time to check out House of History, I hope you will find the films informative, interesting and enjoyable! Right, so barbed wire was invented in 1874 by the American businessman and sheriff Joseph Farwell Glidden. It is the type of barbed wire we still know today, robust, sturdy and cost-efficient. Glidden initially invented it as a way to enclose cattle on the large American ranches and to mark private property. Before we get to Glidden’s version of barbed wire we know today, I want to take a quick look at its earlier versions. In 1860 Léonce Eugène Grassin-Baledan, a French inventor received a patent for his version of barbed wire. He created a form that was used to protect trees against wildlife and animals. It is said this version did what it was meant to do, but was challenging to produce and use on a large scale. Farmers and ranchers didn’t necessarily see a use for it yet. Seven years later Lucien B. Smith managed to attain a patent on his version of barbed wire, although that too didn’t see any mass-production or use. Now, as for Joseph Glidden, his success was in part thanks to the favourable circumstances. In the little American town of Dekalb in Illinois, he had purchased 243 hectares of ground where he wanted to establish a cattle ranch. It was challenging to keep the cattle in the enclosed area; they would break out and start grazing in the vegetable garden his wife tended to. After some brainstorming Joseph thought of a solution: he bought multiple rolls of iron wire. He then used a coffee grinder to create barbs, attached them to the iron wire and used a second wire to keep the barbs in place. The final product was very effective. It kept the cattle in check and at the same time was a great way to mark his lands. If you have any feedback, questions or criticism feel free to leave a comment. Your opinion truly aids me in improving the content of the channel! If you have a question, feel free to leave a comment and I will either write a reply, answer your question in a Q&A video, or make an entire video about it! Sources: Photos, paintings and imagery: Public Domain, Wikicommons #HouseofHistory #History