John Deere's Legacy (Essay Sample)

Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Contributions of John Deere Introduction John Deere was an American inventor who crafted the first self-sourcing steel plow which paved the way for modern farm machinery. Deere was born in 1804 in Rutland, Vermont. He spent much of his teenage life in Middlebury where he received the primary education and later spent a couple of years training as a blacksmith (Sutcliffe 7). At the age of twenty-one, he embarked in practicing as a blacksmith in Vermont where he became popular over a short period. Deere was dedicated to his works and made quality polished shovels and hay forks. John Deere was able to make a good name for himself across Vermont which increased the demand for his tools. However, in the 1830s, the business conditions in the state of Vermont worsened, and Deere decided to travel in search of greener pastures. Deere moved to Illinois where he met fellow Vermont natives who welcomed him. The demand for farming equipment in the area was overwhelming such that by the second day of his stay, his small establishment was crowded by customers. Besides making shovels and hay forks, people in this area met him with other demands such as making horseshoes, repairing farm equipment, and making plows. Deere observed the plows that were being used in the area which made digging tough and for the last reason, he designed the polished plow. Ten years after developing the first polished plow, Deere was now producing one thousand two hundred plows annually (Drache 5). Deere invested in time spent manufacturing a single plow to ensure that he created products of high quality that met the clients' specifications. The legacy left behind by Deere is the revolution he brought to the agricultural sector of the United States regarding the production capacity through the production of the necessary farm machinery. The introduction of the polished plow by Deere saw a change from the use of the human to animal power, and later mechanical power. Initially, women and children pulled the plows across the fields as the men guided them. Later on, people would shift to using horses and oxen to pull the plows. However, Deere would then provide a sophisticated steel plow that depended more on mechanical power rather than human or animal. After the introduction of the polished plow, people were able to cultivate more land and increase the production rate of various crops (Sutcliffe 23). The plows that people used before the invention of Deere did not facilitate digging through stony soils. Due to the increased need for his plows, Deere opened a small factory. His business expanded in a way that he never anticipated. This little facility that was set up in Moline, Illinois, was the founding company of the now large John Deere Company which produces massive farm machinery for local use and also for exportation. The factory created jobs for some unemployed persons in the area who aided in crafting the plows. The booming business enabled Deere to employ more people in his company. However, several challenges came along with the worst being competition from Candee, Swan & Co. whereby the company made similar tools without the permission of Deere (Abrams). However, Deere lost the case as the judge said that he did not have a valid trademark for his tools. Deere never gave up as he went ahead to design his unique logo that he patched on every equipment from his factory. He was determined to see that farmers plowed their farms at ease and improved their productivity. Due to his invention, Deere was referred as the ‘Plow King' by many of his customers who were dispersed beyond Illinois (Dahlstrom et al. 67). In 1854, Deere started being involved in politics and was appointed as the chairman of The Whig County Convention. As the party leader, he advocated for the end of slavery which had taken a toll in the United States. Africans were being sold as slaves to the white men who had large tracts of land. During this era, there were two fronts which were opposed to matters concerning slavery (Sutcliffe 35). One insisted on the continuity of the slave trade while others advocated for its abolition. Deere is remembered for being at the front line of the campaigns against the act. He went ahead and made the abolition of slavery as the main agenda for the party. The differences brought along the rise of the American Civil War. During this era of the civil war, John led a group of persons to distort slavery meetings in the state. John Deere is also remembered to have established the first fire department in Moline. The department started off with only a single hand engine which was referred as the ‘Metamora.' (Abrams) Along with it were the hose pipe of about two thousand feet which was pulled by horses. The first employees of the company were mainly volunteers. Also, Deere's company along with three other firms supplied some of the equipment to the fire department. John Deere is also credited for the founding the National Bank of Moline and being its first president. The bank came as a big boost especially to farmers who needed capital to purchase farm equipment and for their livelihood. The bank also received deposits from its members. However, in the first years, business was not as thriving as it John had anticipated but through his creativity and excellent management skills, the bank was able to stabilize. The National Bank of Moline thus attributes its success and stability to John Deere. After serving as the National Bank's president, Deere also served as the mayor of Illinois for a term of two years from 1873 to 1875 (Drache 5). During his tenure as mayor, John Deere oversaw the implementation of various projects that were beneficial to the residents of Moline. First, he ensured that the city's drainage was improved through construction of sewer pipes that replaced the open trenches. Deere necessitated the building of the sewer pipes due to the widespread of diseases caused by the open drainages. As a result, the town became clean, and there were less communicable diseases, and the environment became tolerable (John Deere Company). Also, John repaired the side- walks and pavements in the city which had been neglected for years. As a result of these efforts, the city was able to attract more pers...