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...