xxi Introduction Technological Innovation in American History: An Encyclopedia of Science and Technology comprises three chronologically arranged volumes. Each of the three volumes is divided into three chronological sec- tions, and each section begins with an introductory essay followed by a mix of entries and primary document excerpts that cover topics and people char- acteristic of the period. Together, the three volumes contain over 700 entries and 91 primary document selections. For many entries, it was difficult to know whether the inventor/innovator or the invention/innovation should take the lead. The editors made a decision based on the relative significance of the invention/ innovation as compared to the multiplicity of the inventor/innovator’s work. A person who invented a number of items received an entry in his or her name, while a person who invented one significant object lost out to the object. Some of the most majorly productive American inventors/innovators, such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, and Steve Jobs, have both biographical entries and entries on their numerous contributions to American science and technology. Also, some obscure inventions/innovations and persons are included in the encyclopedia so as to widen its scope and include persons not generally included in such a collection. The editors endeavored to be inclusive so as to introduce readers to a wider spectrum of the national experience. Some might dis- miss this inclusiveness as weak-minded political cor- rectness, but we argue that “correctness” is not a vice. Rather, it is a significant American and human value and one worth honoring. In most cases, the entry writers and editors chose traditional sources for an entry’s Further Reading bibliography and the general bibliographies for each volume, not to privilege print sources but because most readers need little help finding electronic sources. Nonetheless, the 21st century has given professional historians and writers an invaluable ocean of information worth sharing with students and general readers who are the core audience of this work. The “See also” cross-references at the end of each entry are not meant to be complete. Rather, they func- tion as a guide to lead the reader to other entries that might be of interest. We say “might” because no edi- tor, no matter how skilled, can foresee how a reader will use an entry or what material in an entry will prove the most useful. Cross-referenced entries at the start of a “See also” reference are for other entries in the same volume and section being consulted cross- referenced entries in other areas of the encyclopedia then follow and are marked with the volume and sec- tion information to make finding them easier and more efficient. ORGANIZATION Technological Innovation in American History is divided chronologically into the following sections. Volume 1: Colonial America to 1865 Section 1: Colonial America and Enlightenment Science Covering inventors and innovations from the 17th century to about 1780, this section explores the earli- est days of American science and technology. Colo- nial and Revolutionary Americans did not have the educational or institutional infrastructure in place to
Previous Page Next Page