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Justine Litonjua
Ms. Figueroa
World Literature- Block F
April 14, 2014
Thomas Edison
Edison and the Rise of Innovation
By Leonard DeGraaf
Edison and the Rise of Innovation is about Thomas Edisons
inventions and his life as an inventor. Edison learned entrepreneurship
at a young age from his mother, Nancy. Because he had a learning
disability, Edison was taught by her for most of his childhood, My
mother taught me how to read good books quickly and correctly I
have always been very thankful for this early training (DeGraaf xxi).
Edison began as an inventor in Boston, Massachusetts. A company
called Western Union hired him to receive night press reports from
New York to its main office (DeGraaf 2).
Edisons very first invention was the electrographic vote recorder.
Later on in 1875, Edison invented the electric pen. This device
allowed office workers to make multiple copies of handwritten
documents. The pen became popular for a short period of time, until
other inventors came up with newer, less expensive, and more
effective copying methods (DeGraaf 17).
Thomas Edisons well known work place was called The Menlo
Park Laboratory. This space is where Edison conducted almost all of
his experiments and inventions. The first experiment he did at this
laboratory was an alternative on Alexander Graham Bells telephone
(DeGraaf 30). Edison tried to improve this invention and make it better.
Another object that Edison invented was called the tinfoil phonograph.
Edison was the first to discover the idea of recording sound in 1877.
The first words that he recorded on this device were Mary Had a Little
Lamb. After finding out that the recording worked, he publicized it to
the whole town (DeGraaf 35-36). Edisons most world-changing
invention was the light bulb. The book states that in 1878, the
laboratory designed its first light meter (DeGraaf 51).
In 1884, Thomas Edisons wife Mary passed away. Edison and his
children were devastated and even his daughter, Marion says that she
found her father shaking with grief, weeping and sobbing (DeGraaf
70). Edison and Marion traveled after the death of Mary, and Edison
met a woman named Mina Miller, who later became his new wife. After

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getting married, they bought a house in West Orange, New Jersey. Mina
and Thomas raised three children: Madeleine, Charles, and Theodore.
The eldest child, Madeleine, talked about how her father was more
than just an inventor and how they were very close to him.
In the beginning of 1887, Edison bought land in West Orange for
his new working place. It was larger than the lab at Menlo Park and he
had many more rooms, such as a music room and a lecture hall. The
author describes many of the inventions that Edison manufactured in
his new laboratory. Some inventions were the talking doll, the
Ediphone, and motion pictures. Edison made motion pictures in a room
called the Black Maria and the very first motion picture made was
Edisons Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze (DeGraaf 130). Edison also
improved the x-ray as well. He reduced the time it took to expose an
X-ray image on photographic film and made it faster to see. He made
his own cement, storage battery, and was also part of World War I.
During the War, he shipped carbolic acid to the British and German
governments (DeGraaf 193-194). An important event that the book
covers is the fire of 1914. This year was the year where Edisons
laboratory caught on fire. Despite the fire and the loss of many items,
Edison and his team wasted no time in rebuilding (DeGraaf 195).
The book indicates that rubber was very popular in the United
States during the twentieth century. Because it was so popular, it ran
out very fast. Edison figured out a way to make rubber and conducted
many experiments to test the rubber (DeGraaf 208). Edisons company
made appliances that were called Edicraft appliances. Some of the
objects that were made were coffeemakers, ironing machines, and
toasters (DeGraaf 210-211). Throughout the next years of his life,
Edison continued his experiments with rubber. Because he was getting
old, his experiments were becoming slower and slower.
On August 1st, he collapsed, and newspapers reported that he
was near death. His doctor took good care of him through the last
moments of his life, but towards the end of September, it was clear to
the family, friends, doctors, and the press that the end was near. On
October 15, 1931 Thomas Edison went into a coma and died three
days after (DeGraaf 218-219). After his death, he received many
awards and tributes for his work. His letters and business records were
saved and a librarian organized all the documents in his library.
Edisons old laboratory in Menlo Park was reconstructed and the state
dedicated a memorial tablet near the site (DeGraaf 226). Edisons
inventions influenced the world and because of him, many of large
companies have been made and are successful (DeGraaf 233).

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Review
After reading Edison and the Rise of Innovation, I feel like I know
more about Thomas Edison than before. Before I read the book, I
thought all he did was invent the light bulb and our electrical lines. But
after reading the book, I learned that he did more than that and he
invented many things that are still used today. I liked that the author
mainly stated Edisons popular inventions and how he came to invent
them. I liked how the he started with Edisons early life and what he
did when he was younger to when he became older. Each morning,
twelve-year-old Edison boarded a 7:00 a.m. Detroit-bound train to sell
newspapers, magazines, candy, and fruit (DeGraaf xxii).
The book had a lot of information about how he invented motion
pictures, which was my favorite part. The author described what he did
to make them, and how it affected the world. To view film, the
laboratory designed the kinetoscope, a wooden box with an eyepiece
at the top (DeGraaf 127). I was surprised that the invention of motion
picture was not that successful during that time. I thought it would be
popular because I thought the invention was different from the other
inventions he has made and also a smart idea.
Another part I liked that the DeGraaf described was the AC/DC
controversy. In the book it states that Edison offered the use of his
staff and facilities at West Orange to preform electrocution
experiments on animals (DeGraaf 91). I was surprised that when
experimenting, they used the live animals to see how many volts were
needed to kill someone.
I liked many of the small things the author included in the book,
like when he describes how Edison proposed to his second wife, Mina.
Edison tapped out a marriage proposal in Morse code on Minas
hand during a carriage ride through the White Mountains. She tapped
back, Yes (DeGraaf 72). The book was very interesting and
entertaining to read, and gave more than enough information about
Edison and his inventions.

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1. What is their occupation? What are they known for?

Thomas Edison was an inventor who invented numerous objects
that are still used today. When he was young, Edisons first occupation
was as a telegrapher. He worked for the Western Union Telegraph
Company. There, he developed telegraph-related products (Thomas
Edison par 4). He started at a very young age and many were
impressed at how good he was for his age. Edison made most of his
inventions in his laboratory at Menlo Park. His lab became the worlds
best-equipped private industrial research facility during the 1800s
(DeGraaf 20). There, he invented the tin foil phonograph, a commercial
electric light and power system. While he was working on this
invention, he noticed that the tape on the phonograph would give out
high-pitched noises that sounded like voices. He attached a needle to
the phonograph so would let him record a message. His idea worked
and when he played back the recording, it was Mary had a little lamb
(Bellis par 1). In 1875, he invented a device called the electric pen. It
was used to make stencils of documents. It was also one of the first
inventions he sold to people (DeGraaf 16). Edison was also known for
his notebooks. Thomas Edison National Historical Park preserves more
than five million documentsat the heart of these records are the
3,500 standard notebooks Edison and his employees used to record
laboratory experiments (DeGraaf 26). An object that he invented that
is still used today is the telephone. He saw a man named Alexander
Graham Bells invention of the device and wanted to improve it. In
spring 1878, the American Speaking Telephone Co. installed Edisons
telephone in many U.S. cities (DeGraaf 31). Many believe that Thomas
Edison invented the light bulb, but he actually improved it. The idea of
electric lighting was not new, and a number of people had worked on,
and even developed forms of electric lighting Even though others
already invented different forms of electric lighting, none were like
Edisons. Edisons light bulb was practical enough for home use. It
contained all the elements necessary to make the incandescent light

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practical, safe, and economical (Bellis par 5). Edison is also known for
his motion pictures. He invented a device called the Kinetoscope
which meant, to watch. His very first motion picture was of one of his
employees pretending to sneeze (Bellis par 10).
2. What are their cultural origins?
Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio to Samuel and Nancy
Edison. Samuel was born in Nova Scotia, Canada. Samuels
grandfather, John Edeson, was a Loyalist during the American
Revolution. Nancy was born in America and her father was a
Revolutionary War hero. She had some formal education when she was
younger, unlike her husband. She became a schoolteacher and helped
Thomas when he was younger with his schoolwork. Thomas was very
thankful for her. My mother was the making of me (The Edison
Family par 3). Samuel and Nancy got married on September 12, 1828.
After they got married, they moved to Vienna, Ontario and had four out
of their seven children. When Samuel was about 33 years old, he
joined a revolt called the Mackenzie Rebellion in Canada. The rebellion
failed and Samuel moved to the United States permanently with his
family. In the United States, they had their three other children,
including Thomas Edison, who was the last born (The Edison Family
par 1). When Nancy was older, she became mentally ill and died in
1871. Samuel was lucky enough to watch his youngest son become
successful. Only three weeks after his wifes death, Samuel remarried a
16-year-old housekeeper (The Edison Family par 4).
3. What is their personal history?
Thomas Edison was born on February 11, 1847. He was the
youngest of seven and he lived in Milan, Ohio. When he was younger,
he only attended school for less than a year because he had a
learning disability (DeGraaf xxi). Edisons first job was to send a
receive telegraphs at a jewelry store. As a telegrapher, he learned how
to maintain, repair, and adjust equipment. He would work during the
evening. During that time, Edison would sketch different ideas he had
on how to make the telegraph better. Edison began to lose his hearing
at just twelve years old. No one knew what the cause of it was, but
Edison blamed it on an incident in which he was grabbed by the ears
and lifted to a train (Life of Edison par 7). Even though he had
trouble hearing, it actually helped him concentrate on his work better.
When he was a little older, Edison established the News Reporting
Telegraph Company. The company would install a telegraph in a
persons home and that person would get news transmitted to them

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from the company. Even though his invention was something new and
clever, it failed to continue. While at his shop in Newark, Edison met his
wife, Mary. After several months of dating, Edison asked her to marry
him. They got married a week later and had three children named
Marion, Thomas Jr., and William (DeGraaf 10-11). Edisons wife died in
1884 at the age twenty-nine. Edison was devastated and his daughter
remembered him mourning about her death. After a while, Edison met
a girl named Mina. He fell in love with her and asked her to marry him
in Morse code. They bought a house in West Orange, New Jersey and
had three children there, named Madeleine, Charles, and Theodore.
Thomas died in his room on October 18, 1931 from diabetes. A few
days before his death, he was refusing fluids, eating very little, and
recognizing no one except Mina (DeGraaf 219).
4. What is the history of their country?
Edison lived his whole life in the United States during the 19th
and a little of the 20th century. During this time period, World War I had
begun. Edison had helped the United States Government a lot during
this time. He became the president of the Naval Consulting Board and
a researcher for the Navy. Edison was an outspoken advocate of
military and industrial preparedness. When Europe had become
involved with the war, they used many different weapons against the
US, such as the submarine, machine gun, and airplane. Because of all
these new inventions, Edison created a preparedness plan for all the
equipment the United States used (DeGraaf 192). One problem that
the US had was the lack of a chemical called carbolic acid. It was used
to make explosives, but it was only available in Britain and Germany.
The British and German government prohibited the US from obtaining
the chemical, so Edison had to figure out a way to make it in the US
(DeGraaf 193). Edison and his chemists figured out a way to make it
and by early January 1915, Edison was producing 3,400 pounds of
carbolic acid per day (DeGraaf 194). Before he was able to make the
chemical, Edison needed another chemical called benzol. Britain had
large quantities of the chemical, but the price was so high and Edison
did not want to buy it. He asked the Dominion Iron & Steel Co. and the
Cambria Steel Co. if they would allow him to build a benzol absorption
plant.... so that he can make the benzol his self (DeGraaf 196). In
January 1917, Edison began researching war-related technical
problems. Most of his research was on how to protect the US ships from
submarine attacks (DeGraaf 199). He created a device that helped the
Navy detect the location of a submarine, and a device that helped to
turn the ships faster. My desire of this period during my life is to
create the largest possible measure and prosperity for all. Another
very important invention that Edison had created during this time was

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the Telescribe. It was a telephone and a dictating phonograph that
made the very first recording of a two-way call (Edison and WWI par
3-4). Edisons part in World War I has impacted his success in many
ways, such as his Naval Research Laboratory. It was significant because
it was it was the first facility that produced new technologic inventions.
Edison encouraged the view that technical research and innovation
were vital to national security (DeGraaf 203). The Government was
satisfied with Edisons role in the war and honored him by placing a
bronze statue of his head in libraries in Anacostia and Maryland
(Edison and WWI par 1).
5. What group is associated with them?
The group that is associated with Edison is inventors. There were
many inventors that have made history in our world besides Edison. A
group of workers spent many hours of the day and night working with
Edison on his inventions and experiments. When Edison first opened
his laboratory in Menlo Park, he hired men from all around the world to
work with him. The men were usually just out of college or wanted
work and technical training. Edison called these men muckers and
also said that it was not the money they want, but the chance for
their ambition to work. The muckers had different opinions about
working with Edison. One said he could wither one with his biting
sarcasm and another said he loved working with Edison and it was
the best experience of his life (Bellis par 1-2).
6. What are the practices/traditions of the group associated with them?
Besides thinking of and finishing an invention, Edisons
colleagues had to find the right materials needed for a particular
invention and produce it. After producing the invention, they would sell
them all over the world. Edison stated that it is comparatively easy to
conceive an inventionit is another matter to so work out an idea that
it can be put into everyday use at a profit to the maker (Edison and
his Era par 10). There were many inventors that helped Edison with
his inventions. Some important ones were Lewis Howard Latimer and
the Ott brothers. Lewis did not physically work with Edison in his
laboratories, but he worked in Edisons electric light company. His
talent was well known because he patented his own improved method
to make carbon filaments and he was also the only African American
man who worked with Edison during that time. James Ott was a good
friend of Edison. He worked with him in Newark as a machinist. He was
also Edisons principal model and instrument maker. One day while
working in a machine shop, James fell and ended up in crutches. He

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died one day after Edison, and Edisons wife requested for his crutches
to be placed next to Edisons casket at the funeral (Men Who Worked
for Edison par 4). The other Ott brother, Fred Ott, was also a close
friend of Edisons. He was one of Edisons experimenters and he helped
him with is Kinetoscope. He was also in Edisons very first motion
picture, where he is pretending to sneeze. It is known as Edisons
Kinestoscopic Record of a Sneeze (DeGraaf 130). Some practices that
these inventors did were things that helped keep them organized while
they were working. Many inventors used notebooks to help keep track
of their inventions. For example, Edison and his colleagues kept a
notebook where they drew sketches of all the inventions. He also wrote
the different materials he needed for that particular invention and little
notes. A pocket notebook from 1870contains the concluding note:
all new inventions I will here after keep a full record The notebooks
were all around the laboratory and usually had more than one
experimenters notes inside of it (Edison and His Papers par 2-3).
Another practice that Edison and his workers did was use scrapbooks.
Edison and his associates would include different technical notes inside
the scrapbooks along with articles clipped from newspapers and
journals (Edison and His Papers par 7). When Edison moved to his
laboratory in West Orange, he wanted to keep all his papers safe. He
placed all of his notebooks, scrapbooks, and other records in boxes and
labeled them. When he moved into his new laboratory, Edison
constructed a fireproof concrete vault near the laboratory for the
safekeeping of his early notebooks, important legal papers, and other
valuable documents (Edison and His Papers par 13).
7. Do they practice a religion, philosophy, other belief system or other
devotion?
Edison did not practice any religion, but he was considered a
deist. As a deist, he believed that a Higher Power was responsible for
the creation of the world and the set laws of nature in motionbut the
Creators job ended there (Frye par 2-3). Edison did not believe that
there was a god that saw us as individuals, punished us, and rewarded
us. He also believed that religion is all bunk and all bibles are
manmade (Murphy par 3). Edisons first wife, Mary, died of typhoid
and he believed that she died from it because of nature, and not
because of some god. He then remarried to Mina Miller, who was a
daughter of a Methodist minister. Mina tried to convert Edison to
become Methodist, but she failed several times. She invited six
different bishops to their home who tried to talk Edison into joining
them. Edison still did not give in and said he was not going to listen to
anymore of this nonsense (Murphy par 4). Edison even investigated
the supernatural world and stated that he has not found any evidence

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about a god or a heaven. If there is really any soul, I have found no
evidence of it in my investigations (Murphy par 6).
8. What impact have they had on the world?
Thomas Edisons life on earth had a huge impact on the entire
world. He created so many different inventions that have helped and
improved our world drastically. Without Edison, the world would not
have telephones, music, movie theaters, or even electricity. He created
safe light bulbs for homes and talking dolls for the leisure of children.
All of his inventions were unique and many people enjoyed them. Even
when people were not impressed by some of his inventions, it did not
stop him from continuing and trying to improve it. Edison embodied
American faith in material progress, can-do spirit, and optimism in the
future. Edison was gifted at trying to solve technical problems and
was a great leader when it came to building and testing inventions
(DeGraaf 231). His achievements have convinced different companies
like Western Union that if they support Edisons laboratory, it would
help them to develop new technologies they need (DeGraaf 232).
Because of Edison, many large companies have established research
labs, such as AT&T and General Electric. These companies have also
become popular and are still popular today. Edison was even featured
in one episode of The Simpsons, where they joke about him being the
creator of every new technology (DeGraaf 231). Edison also made
others feel better because he showed that if you always think
positively, you would set yourself up for success (Changing our World
Forever par 30). Edison did not only develop new technologies, but he
also pioneered the movement of investor capital inside companies
which still continues today (DeGraaf 233).
9. Would you be interested in meeting them? Why?
I would be very interested in meeting Thomas Edison. He seemed
like a great man who wanted to help and make an impact on the world.
He also seemed very helpful and kind to his workers and family. I would
want to meet him and ask him about his inventions. I would want to
ask him what made him think of the ideas he had and what drove him
to keep on going. I would ask him to show me how he made his
inventions and all the different materials he used to make them. The
invention I would ask him the most questions about is his invention of
motion pictures. I especially would want him to demonstrate how he
uses the kinetoscope and how he made the talking doll, since those
two are still very popular today. I would also thank him for all he has

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done for our world and how much better he has made it with his
inventions.
Works Cited
Bellis, Mary. The Inventions of Thomas Edison. Web. March 31, 2014.
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bledison.htm
Bellis, Mary. The Life of Thomas Edison. Web. March 30, 2014.
http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventors/a/Thomas_Edison_
5.htm
Bellis, Mary. Thomas Edisons Muckers. Web. March 30, 2014.
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bledisonmuckers.ht
m
DeGraaf, Leonard. Edison and the Rise of Innovation. Sterling
Publishing Co., 2013. Print.
Edison and his Era. Web.
http://www.nps.gov/edis/forkids/edison-and-his-era.htm
The Edison Family. Web. March 30, 2014
http://www.thomasedison.org/index.php/education/the-edisonfamily/
A Few Gifted Men who Worked for Edison Web. March 30, 2014.
http://www.nps.gov/edis/forkids/the-gifted-men-who-worked-foredison.htm
Frye, Caitlin. The Hollowverse. October 9, 2012. Web. March 30,
2014.

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http://hollowverse.com/thomas-edison/

Murphy, John Patrick Michael. Thomas Alva Edison. 1999. Web. March
30, 2014
http://infidels.org/library/modern/john_murphy/edison.html
Thomas EdisonChanging Our World Forever. Web. March 30, 2014.
http://www.themarkofaleader.com/library/stories/thomas-edisonchanging-our-world-forever/
Thomas Edison and His Papers. February 20, 2012. Web. April 2,
2014.
http://edison.rutgers.edu/papers.htm
Thomas Edison and World War I. Web. March 30, 2014.
http://www.edison.me.uk/thomasedisonandworldwarone.htm