Experience the excitement of a changing world as inventors and their patents redefine the American identity in this video adapted from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: Edison. Inventions begin as ideas that are useful. Whether a device, a new approach, or a new technique, inventions can change the world. In the late 19th century, Americans began thinking of their country as a nation of inventors. Before then, many Americans felt inferior to Europeans because America lacked great universities and an arts and literature tradition. This resource is part of the Thomas Edison Collection.

Click on the links below to download a customizable Student Handout, Student Reading, and transcript for this resource.

Student Handout | Student Reading | Transcript