Barbed wire is cited by historians as the invention that tamed the West. Herding large numbers of cattle on open range required significant manpower to catch strays. Barbed wire provided an inexpensive method to control the movement of cattle.

What problem did barbed wire solve?

Barbed wire solved one of the biggest problems settlers faced, but it also sparked the ferocious “fence-cutting wars.” The US Department of Agriculture conducted a study in 1870 and concluded that until farmers could find fencing that worked, it would be impossible to settle the American West.

How does barbed wire make life easier?

Barbed wire was cheaper, easier, and quicker to use than any of these other alternatives. Without fencing, livestock grazed freely, competing for fodder and water. ... Known as the "thorny fence," Kelly's double-strand design made the fence stronger, and the painful barbs taught cattle to keep their distance.