The Age of Edison and His Impact on the World

The Age of Edison: Electric Light and the Invention of Modern America by Ernest Freeberg is an in-depth look at the impact Thomas Edison had not only on issues of light, but also on modern technology itself. Many, if not most, people live under the misconception that Thomas Edison’s primary contribution to the world is the development of the light bulb. Freeberg sheds a light of his own concerning this issue, as well as showing the reader the significant impact Edison had on today’s society in a host of ways. The author takes the reader on an illuminating journey into the development of the most significant invention in modern history. One is shown not only how the light bulb revolutionized society, but how the development of an entire system that would bring light to the entire world came to be. Thomas Edison was born February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio. He was the youngest member of his family. Growing up in a modest household, Edison’s early years were focused more on education than monetary gain. Edison was educated almost solely by his mother and himself. He ended all types of public education at the age of twelve. It is difficult to grasp the enormity of his innate intelligence when one learns how little formal education Edison had. His scientific career can be said to have started at the Grand Trunk Railroad. It was here that he first became interested in the telegraph. For six years, Edison roamed the country working in various telegraph offices. It was 1868, which was near the end of his tenure in the telegraph office, that Edison first attempted to create a new invention. Like so many inventors who have changed the world, Edison was unsuccessful at his first attempt to bring a new product to light. He attempted to invent a vote recorder, but could never achieve success. However, this did nothing to dampen Edison’s quest in the world of invention. As stated previously, most people give credit to Thomas Edison for developing the light bulb. This is not entirely accurate. While Edison did extraordinary things in perfecting light as the world now knows it, he was not the only individual to create a device that would come to be known as the light bulb. Joseph Swann, for example, is another inventor who deserves a considerable amount of credit in the creation of the light bulb itself. The average individual rarely, if ever, envisions what the world was like before the light bulb when gas illuminated structures were the things that would dispel darkness. Cities, for example, were not the beacons of sparkling lights that one knows so well in the modern era. Safety issues took on an entirely different dimension. It was certainly much easier, for example, for a criminal to commit any manner of atrocity and be able to hide in the vast darkness. The development of a light bulb, and more importantly, a type of light that could be used by the masses for a relatively inexpensive amount, radically changed life as people across the world know it. This brings the reader to what is perhaps actually Edison’s greatest contribution to the world. Not only did he develop a type of light that could be much more effective and adaptable, he also developed the system for running this type of light. Edison created a grid system for implementing the electrical components necessary to conduct electricity in such a manner so that masses of people could use it. However, before he is able to bring this vastly significant idea to the table, Edison first had to learn the basics of legal struggles and fighting pubic ridicule. He also had to educate himself about business, marketing and economics, as well as learning how to teach his employees the necessary information for them to do their jobs effectively. Melno Park, New Jersey housed the first of Edison’s laboratories. It served as both a place where ideas were born and tested and as a factory of sorts where inventions were transposed from ideas to actual working devices. Edison later moved his primary office to New York City. It was here that Edison became embroiled in one of a host of his legal battles. Beginning early in his career with a lawsuit between he and Joseph Swann, which Edison lost, Edison became no stranger to controversy and the legal system. During this particular battle, Edison became convinced that it was best to collaborate with the “enemy” whenever possible. This manner of reasoning served him well as he endured a lengthy battle with Westinghouse and the Thomas Houston company. Their systems used the AC or alternating current type of conduction. Edison preferred the DC, or direct current method of transferring electricity. The rival companies centered the fight primarily around safety issues. Edison went to great lengths to prove that the AC type of conduction was inferior due to the massive safety hazards it posed. Edison actually did experiments on animals such as dogs and cats to prove how easily AC current could injure or kill not only animals, but also people. A horrible, heart-wrenching example of this happened in New York City when a lineman became entangled in a labyrinth of wires while attempting to fix an electrical problem that used the AC method. The author describes the horrendous scene in which the lineman was struggling to free himself while his co-workers did their best to help him. It explicitly discusses how onlookers could not believe the horror unfolding in front of them as the man’s eyes and head exploded while his hands and feet had flames leaping from them. Despite this and other terrible accidents, Westinghouse and Houston won the battle, and AC current became the nation’s standard. After the judge handed down the decision favoring his opponents, Edison joined forces with Westinghouse. This helped convince him further that collaboration was the best way to handle competitor controversy. Edison’s idea of incandescent lighting, which originally used bamboo, was later converted to a carbon filament instrument. This new and inexpensive way of lighting changed the entire world forever. Because it was inexpensive and relatively easy to use, the poor of the world no longer had to stay in darkness while the rich enjoyed light. Edison not only discovered the use of incandescent lighting, but perhaps more importantly developed the grid system of the electrical process. This is the huge factor that goes far beyond just the development of a light bulb. Edison went much further when he created the grid system that would link the world together with electricity. He had realized early in his career as he was dealing with the patent process that one must not only get credit for creating a product, but also must be sure to either give or get proper credit for the idea itself. With this idea, Edison revolutionized lighting the world. Edison gained prominence when he displayed his light tower first in France, and then later at the Minneapolis Exposition in 1890. The massive structure featured a reflecting pool of goldfish and colored light bulbs. People came in droves to see this beautiful wonder. Edison continues to “light the world” as cities became known as “beacons of light” through the extensive use of his developments. He also brought sparkle and dazzle to film and stage where light could now be used effectively for the first time. Unfortunately, Edison was eventually dismissed from his own company. However, his contributions to modern technology can never be dismissed. It is impossible to imagine a world without the brilliance of light. Edison did so much more than just perfect the light bulb. He literally lit up the world. This paved the way for the technology the world continues to use today. He was able to create a system that changed the entire world. Society continues to use Edison’s creations daily. Even in commercials and such, one can hear the name of Edison mentioned when anything dealing with lighting is discussed. Although he never invented anything new after he was dismissed from his company, Edison continued to be viewed as the world’s foremost authority on any topic concerning light and electricity.

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