Cyrus McCormick is best known for which invention?

• A. Mechanical reaper
• B. Telephone
• C. Vacuum milking glove
• D. Light bulb

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is recognizing who created a machine that transformed farming by mechanizing harvest. Cyrus McCormick is celebrated for inventing the mechanical reaper, a horse-drawn device that could cut and gather grain much more quickly than manual methods. This dramatically boosted harvesting productivity, reduced the labor needed, and helped enable larger farms and broader agricultural expansion in the 19th century. That impact is why this invention is what he’s best known for.

The other options point to inventions by different people: the telephone is associated with Alexander Graham Bell, the light bulb with Thomas Edison, and the “vacuum milking glove” isn’t linked to McCormick. So the mechanical reaper best fits his legacy.