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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 nor 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 are 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 answer, in two words, is "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.   

The American invention of the cotton gin in 1792 illustrates how inventions create wealth.  Previously, the separation of cotton from cotton seeds required many men (often slaves) and backbreaking labor.  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>

 

The American invention of the cotton gin in 1792 illustrates how inventions create wealth.  Previously, the separation of cotton from cotton seeds required backbreaking labor by many men (often slaves).  But the U.S. Constitution has a unique clause that authorizes Congress to grant special rights of ownership to inventors for a period of time, in order to give them an incentive to invent:<ref>Art. I, Sec. 8, http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.articlei.html#section8</ref>

:To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries

:To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries

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 necessary 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 (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 the 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.