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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 20 years without paying him for it, and the public benefits from how the inventions save time and money in performing useful tasks.

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 20 years without paying him for it, and the public benefits from how the inventions save time and money in performing useful 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 the hard labor of 50 men to separate cotton from cotton seeds.  He received a patent (which is sole ownership and a right to prohibit copying) for his invention beginning 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 passage of the first patent law, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which was a machine that replaced the hard labor of 50 men to separate cotton from cotton seeds.  He received a patent (which is sole ownership and a right to prohibit copying) for his invention beginning 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.

Several of the most important inventions concerned communications, which created wealth by reducing the costs of exchanging information, and increasing the amount of information available.  In 1831, an American scientist named Joseph Henry invented the first electric telegraph, which enabled communication across distances by using codes to represent letters.   

Several of the most important inventions concerned communications, which created wealth by reducing the costs of exchanging information, and increasing the amount of information available.  In 1831, an American scientist named Joseph Henry invented the first electric telegraph, which enabled communication across distances by using codes to represent letters.   

Legend says that the first sentence spoken over the telephone was by Bell to his assistant Watson:  "Watson, come here; I want you."

Legend says that the first sentence spoken over the telephone was by Bell to his assistant Watson:  "Watson, come here; I want you."

[[Image:Edison and phonograph.jpg|right]]

[[Image:Edison and phonograph.jpg|right]]

But just as John the Baptist was immediately followed by someone far greater, Jesus, Alexander Graham Bell was immediately followed by someone far greater, Thomas Edison (pictured to the right with one of his inventions, the phonograph).  At the age of 7, Mrs. Edison sent her boy the local public school. The public school teacher was irritated by Edison's curiosity and questions, and aggravated by his failure to follow directions like the rest of the class.  She concluded that Edison was an idiot who was incapable of learning,<ref>Specifically, the teacher concluded that Edison's brain had been "scrambled" or "addled".</ref> and after merely three months the teacher told young Edison's mother that her son was an idiot.

But just as John the Baptist was immediately followed by someone far greater, Jesus, Alexander Graham Bell was immediately followed by someone far greater, Thomas Edison (pictured to the right with one of his inventions, the phonograph).  At the age of 7, Mrs. Edison sent her boy Thomas to the local public school. The public school teacher was irritated by Edison's curiosity and questions, and aggravated by his failure to follow directions like the rest of the class.  She concluded that Edison was incapable of learning,<ref>Specifically, the teacher concluded that Edison's brain had been "scrambled" or "addled".</ref> and after merely three months the teacher told young Edison's mother that her son was an idiot.

Mrs. Edison was furious at the teacher and the public school.  She immediately pulled young Thomas out of school and never sent him back.  She then homeschooled him by reading from the Bible, and his father encouraged young Thomas to read the classics.  Young Thomas became a voracious reader and, by the age of 12, became interested in science, chemistry and the works of Isaac Newton.  Young Thomas also became an entrepreneur as a teenager, first publishing a newspaper and then memorizing Morse Code so that he could get a job transmitting messages over the telegraph by age 15.  He had a tremendous "work ethic," putting in 12-hour work days, 6 days a week, and then inventing in his spare time.  His famous quotes include:<ref>http://quotations.about.com/od/stillmorefamouspeople/a/ThomasEdison2.htm</ref>

Mrs. Edison was furious at the teacher and the public school.  She immediately pulled young Thomas out of school and never sent him back.  She then homeschooled him by reading from the Bible, and his father encouraged young Thomas to read the classics.  Young Thomas became a voracious reader and, by the age of 12, became interested in science, chemistry and the works of Isaac Newton.  Young Thomas also became an entrepreneur as a teenager, first publishing a newspaper and then memorizing Morse Code so that he could get a job transmitting messages over the telegraph by age 15.  He had a tremendous "work ethic," putting in 12-hour work days, 6 days a week, and then inventing in his spare time.  His famous quotes include:<ref>http://quotations.about.com/od/stillmorefamouspeople/a/ThomasEdison2.htm</ref>

This homeschooler changed the world, and was ranked by Life magazine as the most influential person in the entire world over the ''last millennium'' (1000 years).  Known as the "Wizard of Menlo Park," which is a town in northern New Jersey next to the town named after him (Edison), Edison did his best work in New Jersey.  One historian wrote about him:<ref name="Edison">From "The Heroes Of The Age: Electricity And Man," http://www.thomasedison.com/biography.html</ref>

This homeschooler changed the world, and was ranked by Life magazine as the most influential person in the entire world over the ''last millennium'' (1000 years).  Known as the "Wizard of Menlo Park," which is a town in northern New Jersey next to the town named after him (Edison), Edison did his best work in New Jersey.  One historian wrote about him:<ref name="Edison">From "The Heroes Of The Age: Electricity And Man," http://www.thomasedison.com/biography.html</ref>

:"Thomas Edison was more responsible than any one else for creating the modern world ....  No one did more to shape the physical/cultural makeup of present day civilization....  Accordingly, he was the most influential figure of the millennium. ..."

:Thomas Edison was more responsible than any one else for creating the modern world ....  No one did more to shape the physical/cultural makeup of present day civilization....  Accordingly, he was the most influential figure of the millennium.

Edison's inventions (from 1875 to about 1900) include most of modern technology:

Edison's inventions (from 1875 to about 1900) include most of modern technology:

Self-employed, Edison created one marvelous invention after another, acquiring more than 1300 U.S. and foreign patents throughout his life.  The wealth generated by Edison's work is unfathomable.

Self-employed, Edison created one marvelous invention after another, acquiring more than 1300 U.S. and foreign patents throughout his life.  The wealth generated by Edison's work is unfathomable.

A biographer credited Edison's "highly individualistic style of acquiring knowledge that eventually led him to question scores of the prevailing theories on the workings of electricity."<ref name="Edison"/>  Edison's success was not caused by any special advantages:  his family was poor and Edison himself was nearly totally deaf.  Imagine that:  the inventor of the phonograph (record player) was deaf!  Edison said, "Of all my inventions, I liked the phonograph best."<ref>http://www.phmuseum.org/depot/tour/phonograph.htm</ref>  In the picture of him on the prior page, he cannot fully hear what his invention is playing.  We should remember that the next time we resort to excuses for not accomplishing what we could have.

A biographer credited Edison's "highly individualistic style of acquiring knowledge that eventually led him to question scores of the prevailing theories on the workings of electricity."<ref name="Edison"/>  Edison's success was not caused by any special advantages:  his family was poor and Edison himself was nearly totally deaf.  Imagine that:  the inventor of the phonograph (record player) was deaf!  Edison said, "Of all my inventions, I liked the phonograph best."<ref>http://www.phmuseum.org/depot/tour/phonograph.htm</ref>  In the picture of him on the prior page, he cannot fully hear what his own invention is playing.  We should remember that the next time we resort to excuses for not accomplishing what we could have.

One of Edison's sons, Charles, became a conservative governor of New Jersey and was later a co-founder of the Conservative Party of New York, which remains active today.

One of Edison's sons, Charles, became a conservative governor of New Jersey and was later a co-founder of the Conservative Party of New York, which remains active today.

There were other marvelous inventions and engineering feats in the second half of the 19th century.  The Brooklyn Bridge, which still stands today on the east side of lower Manhattan (connecting it with Brooklyn), is a cable suspension bridge that was completed in 1883.  It was remarkable at its time, and heralded in many new suspension bridges to span across many American waterways.  Soon the Brooklyn Bridge enabled the transportation of 33 million persons a year, and that was before the arrival of automobiles!

There were other marvelous inventions and engineering feats in the second half of the 19th century.  The Brooklyn Bridge, which still stands today on the east side of lower Manhattan (connecting it with Brooklyn), is a cable suspension bridge that was completed in 1883.  It was remarkable at its time, and heralded in many new suspension bridges to span across many American waterways.  Soon the Brooklyn Bridge enabled the transportation of 33 million persons a year, and that was before the arrival of automobiles!

Not every invention was American, but often the Americans ("Yankees") are best at making a creation practical and most productive.  Henry Bessemer of England invented a means for converting molten pig iron into valuable steel, which was called the "Bessemer process."  The process removes impurities from the molten iron by oxidizing it with air that is blown through it.  In the 1870s Americans built steel mills, particularly in Pennsylvania, to take advantage of this process and produce large quantities of steel.  Those steel mills brought wealth to Pennsylvania for a century, until cheaper labor in Asia and a lack of protective tariffs drove the American mills out of business and leaving Pennsylvania depressed today.

Not every invention was American, but often the Americans ("Yankees") are best at making a creation practical and most productive.  Henry Bessemer of England invented a means for converting molten pig iron into valuable steel, which was called the "Bessemer process."  The process removes impurities from the molten iron by oxidizing it with air that is blown through it.  In the 1870s Americans built steel mills, particularly in Pennsylvania, to take advantage of this process and produce large quantities of steel.  Those steel mills brought wealth to Pennsylvania for a century, until cheaper labor in Asia and a lack of protective tariffs drove the American mills out of business, leaving Pennsylvania depressed today.

== The Election of 1880 ==

== The Election of 1880 ==