Thomas Jeffersons Inventions
By: Jenna Turdo
A little about him
He was born on April 13, 1743
In Shadwell in Albemarle County, Virginia
He became a member of the Continental Congress
He also wrote the Declaration of Independence when he was 33
- He became the third president of the United States
His Inventions
The Plow
Built in 1794
Thomas Jefferson was one of Virginia’s largest planters
He studied agriculture and introduced many plants to the US
He liked farm machinery
He wanted wanted a plow that would dig deeper than the standard plows
- With the help of Thomas Mann Randolph (who managed a lot of Thomas Jefferson’s land) he built an iron plow based off mathematical formulas that would allow him to dig deeper.
Macaroni Machine
Built in 1787
He started to like cooking while serving as an American minister to France around the 1780s
When he returned to the US he cooked guests some foods from France like macaroni
Thomas Jefferson developed and made the macaroni machine to better make the noodles
- The machine cut holes from the dough which then could be cooked
Spherical Sundial
Made from the top part of a column and a globe shaped ball was placed on top
He marked the North and South Poles, the equator, and the meridian lines
- A movable meridian casted a shadow showing the time of day
Wheel Cipher
Used to write messages in code from soldiers during the American Revolution
It had 26 wooden disks that were all joined by a iron pin
All the letters of the alphabet were put on 1 disk the second disk also had the 26 letters on it, the letters were in no certain order
- The person receiving the letter could then cipher it
The Great Clock
Built in 1792-1793
It served the house guests and the workers who were in the field
It shows Thomas Jefferson’s want for order
The clock shows hours, minutes, and seconds
It’s powered by the cannonball weights
The weights were strung on ropes that went down into the cellar
- Thomas Jefferson’s Great Clock is located in his entrance way
Revolving Bookstand
Polygraph
Dumbwaiter
My Reaction
Work Cited
http://wiki.monticello.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Great_Clock&printable=yes
http://classroom.monticello.org/kids/resources/profile/235/Jefferson-s-Inventions/
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bljefferson.htm
http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/macaroni
http://www.davison.com/blog/2011/04/13/happy-birthday-thomas-jefferson/
http://senselist.com/2006/10/27/12-things-thomas-jefferson-invented/