The Development of a Patent System to Protect Inventions
Overview
From the time when the very first man walked upright, invention was key to human development. The introduction of a spoken language paved the way for a true society; tools allowed for more efficient hunting and thus led to greater longevity; writing ushered in recorded history. On the American frontier, ingenuity was crucial for survival, yet when America finally gained its independence in 1776, all manufacturing and invention was tightly controlled by England. America's founding fathers quickly realized that in order to grow as a nation, they had to nurture the spirit of invention in their countrymen.
The first article of the Constitution provided for the creation of what would become the U.S. patent system. For the first time, inventors were rewarded for their ingenuity with true ownership of their work. From Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, to Thomas Edison's light bulb, the patent system helped make the United States one of the wealthiest, most powerful nations in the world.
Background
In the early days of the American frontier, self-reliance was essential. If something was broken, the frontiersmen were forced to fix it themselves. If something needed to be built for use around the house or in the field, chances were the frontiersmen had to build it.
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