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Indeed, it is not easy to name what did originate in America.  Not democracy.  Virtually none of the great physicists, mathematicians, composers, writers, or other great thinkers came from America.  What, if anything, is so special about America in its place in the world?

Indeed, it is not easy to name what did originate in America.  Not democracy.  Virtually none of the great physicists, mathematicians, composers, writers, or other great thinkers came from America.  What, if anything, is so special about America in its place in the world?

In two words, "Yankee ingenuity."  Virtually all great inventions since about 1750 came from America, and these creations of man have brought the world a wealth beyond all imagination.  America creates, and the rest of the world copies.  And neither the rest of the world or even American history books give full create to Yankee ingenuity.

In two words, "Yankee ingenuity."  Virtually all great inventions since about 1750 came from America, and these creations of man have brought the world a wealth beyond all imagination.  America creates, and the rest of the world copies.  And neither the rest of the world or even American history books give full create to Yankee ingenuity. The Encyclopedia Britannica, which is the leading encyclopedia, listed the greatest inventions in the history of the world along with the country of the invention, and by far the highest percentage are attributed to the United States.  The relatively few that are attributed to other countries are often silly or predate 1788, when the U.S. Constitution was ratified.<ref>http://corporate.britannica.com/press/inventions.html</ref>

Cotton gin.  Telegraph.

The invention of the cotton gin in 1792 illustrates how inventions create wealth.  Previously it required many men (often slaves) and backbreaking labor to separate cotton and cotton seeds from each other.  But the U.S. Constitution has a unique clause that authorizes Congress to grant ownership of inventions to the inventors for a period of time, which is now set at 17 years.  Soon after the Constitution was ratified in 1788, Congress passed the first patent law to encourage Americans to invent useful devices, and ever since Americans have been doing exactly that.  The inventor makes money for himself because no one else may copy his invention without paying him for it, and the public benefits from how the inventions save time and money in performing necessary tasks.

 

 

Telegraph.

Transatlantic Cable "1866: after four attempts, permanent communication with Europe finally established by underground cable"

Transatlantic Cable "1866: after four attempts, permanent communication with Europe finally established by underground cable"