Trailblazer Definition
The term trailblazer signifies those who strike out on a new path or break new ground, either literally or symbolically, using skills of innovation or brave constitutions to conduct their lives off the beaten path. Often known for independent thought, rugged individualism and pioneering ways, trailblazers throughout history have included cutting-edge inventors, explorers and healers.
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Thomas Edison
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Thomas Edison was a trailblazer in the fields of science and invention. Born in 1847 to middle-class parents, Edison would become a giant among 19th century scientists. In 1879, Edison invented the first commercially viable incandescent light bulb. Between 1883 and 1884, Edison invented the first system for central generation of electric power, light and heat. His pioneering ways left their enduring mark on science.
Lewis and Clark
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At the behest of President Thomas Jefferson, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out in May 1804 to explore the Louisiana Territory purchased from the French. Their three-year expedition literally blazed a trail through the new western territories of a young and developing United States. Their pioneering contributions included a mapping of the territory and contact and treaties with native peoples along the way.
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Abraham Lincoln
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Many U.S. presidents could be considered trailblazers, but none defines or embodies the term quite so well as Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln held together a union of northern states--and eventually the entire country--throughout the Civil War. In the midst of war, he authored the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all black slaves in the rebel states and territories free. And at the close of the war, Lincoln began blazing a new trail for the country by offering amnesty to Confederate war veterans to begin the healing of a fractured nation.
Louis Pasteur
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Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) made some of the most important medical and health-related discoveries of the 19th century. His works included developing cures for rabies and anthrax and realizing the need for treating milk to get rid of potentially lethal microorganisms. The process would become known as pasteurization.
What They All Shared
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Trailblazers throughout history all have shared an innovative spirit that kept them going when told their endeavors would be fruitless or against impossible odds. All have made their mark on history and mankind by refusing to quit and pushing ahead, most often into uncharted territory.
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