The inventor of the mechanical reaper is known as who?

• A. George Westinghouse
• B. Cyrus McCormick
• C. Thomas Edison
• D. Alexander Graham Bell

Answer: (B)

Identifying who first built the mechanical reaper highlights how farming was transformed by machines. Cyrus McCormick designed and improved the mechanical reaper in the 1830s, making it practical for widespread use. The reaper could cut and gather grain much faster than hand tools, so a single worker could harvest far more crop in a day. This boost in productivity helped expand farming westward and gave rise to a fully mechanized agricultural industry. The other names were influential inventors in different areas—Westinghouse with the railway air brake and electrical systems, Edison with electric light and other devices, Bell with the telephone—but none are linked to the invention of the mechanical reaper.