How inventors’ products have changed our lives is as important as who they were. Some inventions’ influence on human lives are easy to understand. The discovery of fire made it possible for early humans to have a heat source, as well as a way to cook foods, otherwise eaten raw. A major invention thousands of years ago was the wheel. Its inventions allowed for the advancement of agriculture and technology by later inventors. Man now had new opportunities to transport materials. Having capable modes of transportation has been a crucial stepping stone for all societies. Classic examples are Greek and Roman societies. The waterwheel was implemented to enable the creation of early wells and water system, using the Archimedian screw. Easier transportation allowed the construction of roads, bridges and buildings.
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Some of the simplest inventions have made the most tremendous changes in the development of civilizations. Beginning with the wheel, these inventions led to the very existence of “civilization”. There was now running water, roads and housing. Inventions have greatly changed the lives of man throughout history as early as BC. However, in classic times and continuing in the middle ages, these civilizations were isolated areas of the world. It is important to understand who benefited from inventions and the advancement of technology. 2
The inventions most often recognized as crucial to the advancement of Western civilization have changed predominately the West. Even in this modern day, there are still many societies that do not benefit from the inventions that are seen as paramount to the West. This does not even take into account inventions taken for granted in the United States, such as the computer. Many areas of the world still do not have running water and sewage systems, technological breakthroughs in place over two thousand years ago in select societies.
New products are created each day in the United States to meet the needs and wants of the American people. Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between the needs of people and what is just wanted as improvements on an old idea. A simple example of a necessary innovations cultures use worldwide are crude tools, such as those used to start fires and then whose functions were expanded to build housing structures. However, there are items which Americans would also consider necessary to their lives, although other cultures would easily disagree. An example of a invention that is common in many American households is guns. Weapons have undergone many improvements over time. However, guns have not improved humanity.
It is also arguable that many other inventions have been at the cost of others .It is important to understand how changes in technology have affected humanity worldwide and how it has changed our environment. There are ways in which simple tools made many choices for humans more viable. Most importantly, many inventions have changed the quality of life for many people. People are able to live longer with access to clean, running water, with refrigeration of food and medicine. The importance of vaccines has changed the life expectancy of people throughout the world who have access to these medicines. However, even the most benign inventions have not been developed with a global framework. We know that even today that simple vaccines are not available worldwide and thousands of needless illnesses and deaths result every year.
Many innovations, that were applauded for their “greatness”, have greatly affected the world, although with a negative impact. These inventions are those related to warfare. The creation of weapons was encouraged by the particular culture for their own dominance in the world. With the power gained by acquiring weaponry, colonization of other lands became possible. Colonizers’ intent may have been to “civilize” the natives by converting them to their religion, but they never chose to “civilize” the native people by transferring technology to that land and allowing the people the autonomy to create.
With each ‘advancement’ of weapon technology the impact of wars throughout the world has become more profound on the people it affects, as well as its impact on the environment. Early wars with swords and face to face combat is often considered barbaric today. The advancement of weapons changed slowly over time, but greatly affected the kinds of war being fought. The significant differences between World War I and World War II are hard to ignore. The second World War was ended by the use of atomic warfare. The choice to use the atomic bomb, as difficult as it might have been, was not made face to face with the opponent. The atomic bomb allowed distant destruction of life on the people who lived there and their habitat. The affects of that choice still can be seen in the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki today. Despite this fact, the atomic bomb is still hailed as a great and necessary invention by millions.
The United States continues to spend billions each year on military spending. To “be all that you can be” is an American motto used to enlist young American men . The protection of this country is put before all else; it is put before the education of youth, before the eradication of the poor, before anyone asks is the money spent necessary? Is the creation of newer and more advanced weapons an imperative? In the post Cold War age, some of these questions have been addressed with the deployment of nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, this line of questioning must continue.
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When many Americans are asked about the importance of technological innovations related to war, many affirm their importance as related to America’s worldwide domination. However, what most citizens do not realize that the constant proliferation of weapons is not necessary to protect a country already well-supplied with weapons. More important to note is that Americans firmly believe in the newest creations regardless of what they are related to.
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Lesson 1: Timelines and Inventions gives students information on when and how inventions were created throughout history. This lesson is important to learn about the changes and growth in technology. Key to this lesson on Timelines is holding class discussions about how different inventions came to be and how they were improved.
American As Apple Pie
“As a marketer, trend knowledge is invaluable. To be where the consumers are just before they get there, offering these consumers they didn’t know they wanted, spells success.”
Faith Popcorn 3
Americans desire to have the newest and best of everything, regardless of social class. This new product may be a new pair of Air Jordans or a new speedboat. In fact, producers constantly look to create new needs and wants to appeal to the American consumer. The desires of Americans to have many choices are not products of the twenty-first century; this desire was the foundation of our country. This country was founded on the ability to have choices and the freedoms to create. During the development of our country, the founding fathers encouraged the need for hard work. Hard work was to be rewarded with purchasing power, even for the average worker.
Today the American dream encompasses more than the opportunity to buy a home, but also to own more material goods than ever. This vision is seen in every American home, especially where the household owns a large screen TV, but little or no furniture. Everything on the television is a push at the consumer to buy, from the clothing and materials goods of the characters on each sitcom to the hour long infomercials. The Home Shopping Network allows the consumer to get what he/he wants without leaving his/her home. Each commercial pushes the consumer to believe that he/she must have the product, and by buying each product the consumer has gained power. The creator of each of these products is aware of the influence of marketing and the consumer nature of Americans.
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A prime example of an American invention that was the result of the influence of marketing and the consumer nature of Americans, as well as a prime example of the ill effects of meeting American needs, is the fast food industry. Fast food is designed to meet people’s busy lifestyles. It is, however, a huge detriment on the environment. Americans became aware of the problems of fast food packaging with the advent of the Styrofoam box in 1975. McDonalds introduced the box as a way to “protect” the Big Mac and make the sandwich more appealing to the consumer. However, the American public, particularly environmentalists, became aware that Styrofoam did not decompose once it became garbage. Not only was the decomposition of the packaging a problem, the new containers also contained chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which were recognized as contributing to the earth’s ozone layer. The CFCs were removed from the Styrofoam containers and McDonalds even began recycling the plastic. The environmental groups continued their war against the packaging, and in 1990, plastic containers was an idea of the past. The irony of this environmental tragedy is that the majority of fast food does not stay in the packaging for more than ten minutes. Rarely does the consumer even look at their sandwich longer than thirty seconds! Even though McDonalds and other fast food restaurants now serve their products in paper, fast food remains a huge waste producer. Despite this fact, fast food remains an ever-popular way to eat and to socialize. Fast food is a simple reward for people and the Golden Arches represent the American dream in many ways .4
Fast food is only example of the environmental problems caused by inventions. Some Americans have become more aware of the problems cause by excess material goods and recycle many different products from bottles to clothing to furniture. However, Americans are consumers of many different disposable new products each year. People consume goods for diverse reasons. In Why They Buy, American Consumers Inside and Out, the authors discuss several different reasons why consumers buy. They state that people purchase to meet various needs. For example, consumers who desire to show off and exhibit themselves buy such goods, as fancy jewelry, clothing and cars. Consumers wanting to achieve tasks, purchase such goods as “how-to” books and do-it-yourself kits. These consumers frequent places like Home Depot and Loews. There are numerous reasons why consumers buy, but most often people buy in order to fulfill some need or desire. 5
As seen every weekend in local malls, Americans purchase goods in search of instant gratification for one reason or another. Americans save less money than any other industrial nation. This fact makes the United States a prime place for innovators even with the most bizarre of product; no matter what you are peddling in the United States, someone will buy it. Examples of the consumer society we live in are endless, but particularly notable examples are the Chia Pet, the Pet Rock and the Giga Pet. These inventions are comical in many sense, especially knowing these products have made millions of dollars and serve little useful purpose, although they are entertaining. The innovators of these products had the freedom to be very creative in their inventions.
Who Gets To Invent?
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
Charles Dickens 6
All inventors must be creative in some ways. To create something new is to have a vision not previously held by someone else (or previously brought to fruition). Regardless of the product they create and regardless of their background, all inventors face some level of struggle to create. It is a rare inventor who dreams up his/her idea and has it in their hands the next day. The majority of inventors have been able to find a niche to create and sell their product because the majority of recognized American inventors were white males. There were many people from diverse backgrounds who had great vision, although so few have been able to have their ideas realized by society. It is important to learn about all the great thinkers from the past and present.
A great influence on American commerce was Eli Whitney. Whitney was a Yale graduate working as a tutor when the opportunity to invent was passed his way. In 1792, Whitney came up with a device able to separate cotton from cotton seeds rapidly. Whitney’s invention was extremely important to what occurred in the United States; he enabled the cotton industry to develop even more rapidly. The Cotton Belt expanded greatly, from two states to the area of South Virginia to east Texas. This expansion also allowed the proliferation of the slave industry, and a setback for the abolitionists of the early 1800s. 7
Often seen as a prime inventor of American technology, Thomas Edison had a generous opportunity to create; creating was his livelihood. However as a child, he was described as an idiot who did not finish his school work. Edison’s mother taught him at home and as a child, he experimented, discovering new ideas and causing minor accidents, leading to some of his most important discoveries. Edison set fire to a train, losing his first job, at the age of twelve. At fifteen, he managed a telegraph office and then invented the transmitter and the automatic telegraph. He also invented the record player, the phonograph, the typewriter and motion pictures. Edison created over 1,000 inventions. He is well known for the 1878 invention of the first practical light bulb by using a carbonized thread of cotton. It originally only burned for 40 hours. It is important to note that in 1879, Joseph Wilson Swan, an African-American, invented an electric lamp. He helped Edison keep the light bulb lit. This fact is often left from books on inventors, or even on American history, although Swan’s name may be included. 8
African-Americans had fewer opportunities than whites, but despite the challenges African-American faced, they created significant inventions. Many African-American inventions were deleted from the history books and a few historians have worked to give the credit to these inventors. Some of the most difficult inventions to find the creators of were those created during antebellum times. An example of a slave inventor was a slave know only as Ned. Ned created a cotton scraper. His owner, Oscar J.E. Stuart attempted to get Ned’s innovation patented under Ned’s name, a very unusual proposal for a slave owner. Stuart’s request was denied. Stuart later marketed Ned’s invention and eventually Stuart left Mississippi. What happened to Ned is unknown. There are many slaves who invented that are recorded in various sources, and many more slaves who had no way to share their ideas or to protect them from being taken by their white owners. 9
Benjamin Banneker was an African-American innovator who had many opportunities to share his ideas, although he did not escape discrimination. Born in 1731, Banneker grew up on a farm and was able to attend the local school, the only black student in an “all” boy school. His teacher saw his strengths, especially in the areas of mathematics. Banneker received a gift of a pocket watch from a traveling salesman. Banneker spent endless hours tinkering with his gift and built the first wooden clock of its kind in the United States by 1753. Banneker correctly predicted a solar eclipse, surprising two leading astronomers of the time. Banneker began an almanac in 1792 and his almanac became part of every household for the next ten years. Unlike Franklin’s almanac, all the work in Banneker’s almanacs were his own predictions and calculations.
Banneker recognized the privileges he had been granted as a successful African-American in a racist society. Banneker saw the contradictions presented in American society, particularly in the Declaration of Independence. Banneker wrote Thomas Jefferson expressing himself and pointing out Jefferson’s hypocrisy in being the creator of “all men are created equal” and being a slave holder. Banneker wrote,
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Sir, how pitiable it is to reflect that although you were so fully convinced of the benevolence of the Father of Mankind and of his equal and impartial distribution of these rights and privileges which he hath conferred upon them, that you should at the same time counteract his mercies in detaining by fraud and violence so numerous a part of my brethren under groaning captivity and cruel oppression, that you should at the same time be found guilty of that most criminal act which you professedly detested in others with respect to yourselves. 10
Jefferson responded to Banneker stating that he, too, wished to change the unfortunate circumstances of the country. Banneker and Jefferson began a long correspondence. Despite Banneker’s continued contributions to the United States and his involvement in politics, Banneker has never received official recognition in the United States; England and France both have Benjamin Banneker recorded in their official records.
Almost a hundred years later, Garrett Augustus Morgan created a very important product: the gas mask. In 1912, his gas mask was simply made to protect the head and allow the wearer to breath. Morgan founded the National Safety Device Company and encouraged blacks to buy shares in his company. Despite his request, Morgan had no African-American buyers and his company became an almost all-white company. In 1916, Morgan and his brother helped saved trapped men from a smoke-filled tunnel. Morgan’s heroism gained him recognition necessary to sell the gas mask. Orders rolled in quickly, but Morgan needed to employ a white man to sell his product in the south. The orders stopped as suddenly as they began when it was discovered Morgan was black. However, the advent of World War I made it essential for Morgan’s invention to be taken seriously. It was used in an updated version by thousands of soldiers. Morgan also created the traffic signal in 1923. Instead of facing more discrimination, Morgan sold the traffic signal to General Electric for four thousand dollars. Subsequently, whites profited from this invention, so crucial to every industrial city and town.11
Modern day African-American innovators create many different products, including many medicines. However, the opportunities for African-American inventors remains limited, limited by the challenge presented by a society still not free of racism. Often, the avenues to be able to create are not made known to African-Americans. When African-American do become interested in becoming an inventor, many doors are closed to them. An example of someone who dealt with the many challenges created by prejudice is Percy Julian. Born in 1899, Julian made his way to DePauw University through hard work and persistence. Julian was a top chemistry student and looked forward to attending graduate school. He was refused admission because of his race at all the top universities. Julian went on to teach at a historically black school until finally gaining admission to Harvard in 1922. Years later he won the opportunity to study for his Ph.D. and to do the research he desired. Dr. Julian created many different inventions, including a smothering agent from soybean that was used to put out gasoline and oil fires in WWII. Julian was known for not giving up despite the odds he faced. 12
Although Julian succeeded in overcoming many barriers, many African-Americans and other minority groups in the United States still do not have access to monetary resources to develop products. Nor do they have access to the research and development of large corporations. Consequently, many great ideas still do not even make it off the chopping block because of the challenges facing African-Americans and other minority groups.
Lesson 2: Biographies has students use research to learn about American inventors. Crucial to this lesson is holding class discussion addressing the differences in the kinds of struggles faced by inventors, as well as the influence their invention had on changing people’s lives.