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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 1776 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>  For example, the Encyclopedia Britannica lists 29 inventions for the United Kingdom, but that includes useless and even harmful creations like cloning, as well as other inventions that predate the United States such as carbonated soft drinks (which is also not particularly productive).  The United States, meanwhile, is credited with 170 inventions, which is over 5 times as many creations than Great Britain even though most Americans were descended from the British and did not have as much wealth or advantage as the mother country for most of America's history.  All other countries are even further behind America in inventions.

In two words, "Yankee ingenuity."  Virtually all great inventions since about 1776 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>  For example, the Encyclopedia Britannica lists 29 inventions for the United Kingdom, but that includes useless and even harmful creations like cloning, as well as other inventions that predate the United States such as carbonated soft drinks (which is also not particularly productive).  The United States, meanwhile, is credited with 170 inventions, which is over 5 times as many creations than Great Britain even though most Americans were descended from the British and did not have as much wealth or advantage as the mother country for most of America's history.  All other countries are even further behind America in inventions.

The American 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.

The American 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:<ref>Art. I, Sec. 8, http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.articlei.html#section8</ref>

 

 

Soon after the Constitution was ratified in 1788, the first Congress passed the first patent law in 1790 to encourage Americans to invent useful devices,<ref>http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa073100a.htm</ref> and ever since Americans have been doing exactly that.  The inventor makes money for himself because no one else may copy his invention for 17 years without paying him for it, and the public benefits from how the inventions save time and money in performing necessary tasks.

Within a few years of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and enacting of the first patent law, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which was a machine that replaced hard labor of 50 men to separate cotton from cotton seeds.  He received a patent (exclusive ownership) for his invention in 1794.  Whitney became wealthier due to his creation as people paid him for the right to make and use his invention; southern plantations became wealthier from his invention because it reduced their costs; and the entire public became wealthier because the price of clothes containing cotton decreased due to the lower costs.  This is how an invention creates wealth for the world.

Within a few years of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and enacting of the first patent law, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which was a machine that replaced hard labor of 50 men to separate cotton from cotton seeds.  He received a patent (exclusive ownership) for his invention in 1794.  Whitney became wealthier due to his creation as people paid him for the right to make and use his invention; southern plantations became wealthier from his invention because it reduced their costs; and the entire public became wealthier because the price of clothes containing cotton decreased due to the lower costs.  This is how an invention creates wealth for the world.