Thomas Jefferson was not only a president, but also an inventor. Thomas Jefferson invented many things. When Jefferson was in Europe as Secretary of The State, he observed that the Dutch moldboard which is the front of the plow which lifts up and turns over sod was awkward and ineffective. Setting his mind to the problem, Jefferson interwove art and purpose to invent a new moldboard based on pure mathematical principles, namely the right angle. This original moldboard transformed agriculture .

 

The polygraph, another letter copying device, was invented by an Englishman John Hawkins and perfected by Thomas Jefferson, he called it the finest invention of the present age.

 

Jefferson also invented an unique revolving stand with five adjustable rectangular shaped rests for holding books. It could be folded in to make small smooth surfaced boxes which could then attach to the base.

 

Jefferson developed his wheel cipher between the year 1792-1793 while he was serving as the United State Secretary of State. The wheel cipher consisted of twenty six cylindrical wooden pieces which each had a hole bored into its center so that they onto an iron spindle. On the edge of each wheel all 26 letters of the alphabet was inscribed. By using it a person could scramble and unscramble in order to code messages.