Changes

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 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.

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.