The first machine to cut wheat is generally considered to be the reaper, which was invented by Cyrus McCormick in the 1830s. McCormick's reaper was a horse-drawn machine that was used to harvest wheat and other grains. It was designed to cut the stalks of grain using a series of sickle-shaped blades and to gather the cut grain into a container for transportation. Prior to the invention of the reaper, grain was typically harvested by hand using a scythe or other hand-held cutting tool. McCormick's reaper revolutionized agriculture by greatly increasing the efficiency and productivity of grain harvest and played a significant role in the development of mechanized agriculture.