Thomas Edison, born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio, had a strong desire for knowledge from a young age. Despite being diagnosed with ADHD, his teacher removed him from school at seven years old due to his curiosity and thirst for learning. Instead, Thomas’ mother Nancy took on the role of educating him in important subjects such as reading, writing, math, and religion. It was understood that his unique behavior was a result of his exceptional intelligence (Guthridge 23).
Thomas discovered his preference for self-teaching after being introduced to the various resources at his local library by his parents. According to Beals, Edison’s exceptional mental and physical endurance played a pivotal role in his journey towards becoming a successful 19th-century inventor. However, achieving success was not easy or straightforward for him. Nonetheless, he started pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors at a young age.
At the age of twelve, Thomas engaged in various business activities like selling newspapers, snacks, candy, and even produce to people at the local railroad station (Beals). Just two years later, he accomplished the feat of publishing his own newspaper that quickly gained an impressive number of over 300 subscribers. During Abraham Lincoln’s presidential campaign, Edison passionately supported him and attracted attention by publishing articles and advertising photographs of the candidate. The income generated from Tom’s publishing endeavors allowed him to establish a chemical laboratory in his home basement. However, his mother eventually forced him to close it down due to her concern about a potential explosion that could damage their house.
Shortly after, Edison had the fortunate opportunity to work at the railroad station. In a brave act, he rescued the son of the stationmaster from an oncoming train. As a gesture of appreciation, the stationmaster took it upon himself to instruct Edison in Morse code and telegraphy. By fifteen years old, Edison had achieved complete proficiency in these abilities. Additionally, this period coincided with the outbreak of the Civil War, enabling Edison to serve as a substitute telegraph operator for those who enlisted in the war.
About the time the war ended, Thomas invented his first real invention called the “automatic repeater.” The purpose of this invention was to make it easier for people to accurately translate telegraph signals quickly. Surprisingly, Edison did not patent this invention. Afterward, Edison moved and started working as a telegrapher at the thriving Western Union Company in Boston. During this time, Boston was considered the center of scientific, educational, and cultural activities. Despite his busy schedule at Western Union, Thomas managed to create his first patented invention, an electronic voting machine.
However, this invention proved to be a failure as Edison and other political figures recognized that it was ahead of its time. The manual vote counting process allowed political parties to manipulate opinions of their colleagues during the delay period. As a result, the invention was not successful until almost a century later when it was employed in elections (Beals). In Boston, Edison developed a keen interest in the concept of “multiplexing” during his attendance at college lectures. This interest eventually laid the foundation for the telephone (Guthridge 98).
During this time, Edison became acquainted with Benjamin Bredding, who would later assist Alexander Graham Bell and was responsible for many of his inventions. Bredding was instrumental in introducing Edison to the cutting-edge technology of the harmonograph and the multiplex transmitter (Beals). However, Edison’s financial situation worsened, and he was at risk of losing his job at Western Union due to his lack of focus on his primary duties. To escape this predicament, Edison borrowed money from Bredding and traveled to New York on a steamship. In the first few weeks there, Edison was destitute and on the verge of starvation.
While strolling down the street one day, Edison observed from a window that a brokerage firm manager was frantically dealing with what seemed to be a malfunctioning stock ticker (Israel 175). Cutting through the crowd, Thomas quickly repaired the unfamiliar device in just a matter of seconds. The manager was astounded by his actions and promptly offered Edison a lucrative position at the firm to handle future maintenance of all machines. This occurrence proved to be a significant turning point in Edison’s life as he felt as though he had been “suddenly lifted out of extreme poverty and into wealth” (Israel 177).
In the following three years, Edison’s significant inventions gained momentum. In 1874, he obtained sufficient funds from selling an “electrical engineering firm”, enabling him to establish his initial testing and development lab in New Jersey (Israel 186). Edison’s innovation of the carbon transmitter in 1876 allowed for the practical use of the recently invented telephone, as it enhanced audibility (Bellis). In the subsequent year, he successfully created the first phonograph. Shortly after, Edison felt a sense of regret for not completing the telephone before Alexander Graham Bell, as he was nearing its completion himself.
However, Edison’s development of a carbon transmitter had a groundbreaking impact on the telephone, leading to its extensive growth. Edison’s frustration over losing the race to finalize the telephone’s development motivated him to surpass all previous inventions and introduce the “first commercially practical incandescent electric light bulb” (“The Thomas Edison Papers”). Just a few years later, Edison achieved unprecedented success by creating the “first economically feasible system for centrally generating and distributing electric heat, light, and power” (Guthridge 152).
Thomas Edison established the first comprehensive research and development center in the world by the age of forty. This center eventually became the largest research laboratory. In 1890, he invented the Vitascope, which paved the way for silent films. With dedicated effort in a relatively short time, Edison successfully created various devices that profoundly influenced the world. As the new century dawned, he gained fame as both “the father of the electrical age” and “the greatest inventor who ever lived.”
Thomas Edison, despite his international fame, had limited personal connections throughout his life. At 83 years old, as his health declined, he obtained his 1093rd and last patent and was bestowed the moniker “Wizard of Menlo Park” (Israel 376). A year later, on October 18th, at the age of 84, Edison died. His passing marked a significant moment in human progress, prompting people and organizations worldwide to dim their lights or temporarily halt power as a tribute during his funeral (Bellis).
Thomas Edison’s impact on history cannot be adequately described. He made significant contributions through a vast array of inventions, including the motion picture camera, a longer-lasting electric light bulb, a system of street lights, and numerous others. Edison’s relentless drive and dedication to advancing modern science played a crucial role in propelling America into the forefront of the industrial world. Furthermore, his inventions greatly bolstered the country’s economy during their time of creation.
Multiple companies eagerly capitalized on the opportunity to sell Thomas Edison’s patented devices. This led to the rise of new businesses solely focused on expanding the marketing of these products. Consequently, these advancements not only created more job opportunities but also fostered additional creativity and innovation. Edison played a crucial part in shifting America’s economy from its long-standing dependence on agriculture to a technology-driven economy.
During my research for this paper, I came across several intriguing details about Thomas Edison. One particular fact that caught my attention, which might not be widely known, is that Edison dealt with partial deafness.
According to Guthridge (122), there were different explanations for the origin of Edison’s hearing loss. One theory suggests that his hearing loss might have worsened when a train conductor hit him on the head during a chemical lab experiment, resulting in a train fire. As a result, his left ear became completely deaf while his right ear suffered an eighty percent hearing loss as he grew older. Despite having the option of surgery to fix this issue, Edison chose not to go through with it because he believed that improved hearing would hinder his cognitive abilities.
Another thing I didn’t know about the inventor was his many similarities to Alexander Graham Bell. Bell and Edison were the same age and lived in Boston at the same time. They both worked with Benjamin Bredding, which connected all three men in their interest in multiplexing. Both Edison and Bell were determined to perfect the telephone around the same time, but Bell was able to finish first. However, Edison’s innovations improved the functionality of the telephone and he also created devices that enhanced Bell’s inventions.
Despite their individual quests for success, the competitive nature of the two men ultimately contributed to their mutual achievements. Wikipedia’s article on Thomas Edison closely resembles information found in other resources discussing the inventor. The article accurately portrays biographical details about Edison. Interestingly, additional facts mentioned in the Wikipedia entry that I had not encountered in my previous research could be confirmed through other sources. Notably, Wikipedia includes a comprehensive list of Edison’s six children from his two marriages, which was unavailable elsewhere.
Although Wikipedia does not mention it, one crucial detail about Thomas Edison is his financial struggles after relocating to New York City. While Wikipedia states that he started working right away, two other sources indicate that Edison was close to starvation until he fortunately found a job repairing machines at a financial company (Beals).
Works Cited
- Baldwin, Neil. Edison: Inventing the Century. University of Chicago Press, 2001
- Beals, Gerald. Thomas Edison. Biography. June, 1999.
