ELI WHITNEY
1765-1825
ROBERT FULTON
1765-1815
ELIAS HOWE
1819-1867
S. F. B. MORSE
1791-1872
ALEX. GRAHAM BELL
1847-
THOMAS ALVA EDISON
1847-
[Illustration]
_By H. ADDINGTON BRUCE_
Anyone who reads the history of the United States must be impressed
with the supremely important part played by the inventor in the
evolution of the nation. The explorer and pioneer, the statesman,
diplomat, and soldier,--all these have contributed, and contributed
notably, to the upbuilding of the mighty republic of today. But it is
beyond dispute that in the long run their efforts would have counted
for comparatively little had it not been for the genius of those who
have bent their energies to the devising of means for the development
of the country’s marvelously rich resources, and have still further
added to the national wealth by the creation of unsuspected channels
for the profitable employment of human enterprise and labor.
[Illustration: WHITNEY’S ARMORY
_In 1798 the inventor of the cotton gin began the manufacture of
firearms near New Haven, Connecticut._]
It was in the humble workshops of men like Whitney, Fitch, and Fulton
that, almost as soon as the independence of the United States had
been won by the sword, the foundations were laid for its rise to the
standing of a world power. Every invention these men made meant
a gain in the nation’s strength, and a wider opening of the door
of opportunity to all native-born Americans, and to the constantly
increasing host of newcomers from abroad. The American inventors have
not simply astonished mankind; they have enhanced the prestige, power,
and prosperity of their country.