About Colonial American Inventions
Many inventions were created during Colonial American times. From new ways to heat a home to fire trucks, innovation ran deep within the colonists. The founding fathers were some of the greatest and prolific inventors of their era.
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Time Frame
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During British colonial rule of the thirteen colonies starting in the 1500's, inventors were plentiful and created many concepts and physical items that changed the course of the world. By the time the colonies rebelled and launched the revolution in 1776, a slew of patents were issued by the fledgling democracy.
Some of the greatest inventors are still known today in the form of our founding fathers, specifically Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.
Features
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Many people created new ideas for inventions, mostly out of necessity.
In 1659, a Boston metalworker named Joseph Jencks created the fire engine. He built a machine with a pump to hold water and could be pulled by horses to fires.
Sybilla Masters became the first woman to patent an invention with the creation of a water pump that would grind corn into meal in 1712.
In 1776, an inventor named David Bushnell created the first American submarine for military use. Called the Turtle, the vessel was powered by a pump and was designed to drill a hole into the bottom of a ship and place a powder keg to explode the enemy vessel. The design was the first to utilize water as a ballast and screw propeller, still in use today. -
Effects
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Benjamin Franklin was probably the most famous inventor of the era. In the 1740's, Franklin created a stove that allowed wood to be burned indoors while letting the smoke leave the building. This made heating a home safer and more efficient.
In 1760, he created bifocals, two lenses in the same eyeglass.
His most prized invention was called armonica. It utilized a series of glass bowls and goblets that would make tones when rubbed. Franklin would say that of all the things he invented and did with his life, his armonica was what made him most happy.
Franklin's invention of Daylight Savings Time, to move ahead time by one hour in the spring and back by one hour in the autumn, made the most efficient use of sunlight.
Considerations
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Along with physical inventions, the colonial era was known for its intellectual prowess. Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" swayed many people who we undecided about a revolt against the British monarchy. The writing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution changed the world.
During the Revolutionary, Gen. George Washington helped change western warfare with his adoption of traditional Native American practices of guerrilla warfare. Hit and run tactics are still used today.
Significance
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The slew of creativity from early American inventors caused the founding fathers to create a patent office to protect individuals' rights to their inventions. Although having gone through many changes over the years, Thomas Jefferson's original concepts of structure, rules, and regulations remains the fundamental foundation of today's copyright and patent offices.
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