The Revolutionary Spark

On the morning of January 8, 1790, the first president of the United States strode into Federal Hall in New York City to deliver a speech that would become known as the State of the Union address. Dressed in an elegant dark suit, George Washington outlined his priorities for the young nation, calling on Congress to establish a standing army, a national currency, a post office and an educational system. And he urged lawmakers to reward Americans for their “exertions of skill and genius” by adopting a system to protect new inventions, a power entrusted to Congress by the newly ratified Constitution. 

After Washington signed the Patent Act of 1790, he personally affixed his signature to each of the 156 patents granted during his presidency, sending a profound message: Innovation was so important to the fledgling republic that the president himself was invested in its success.

This special issue of Smithsonian, published on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, celebrates that Revolutionary Spark—the visionary impulse driving the dreamers and discoveries that have shaped our nation from the start. Of course, it’s impossible to contain them all in one magazine: More than ten million patents have been issued since those that Washington signed, to say nothing of the inventive thinking that birthed the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the poetry of Emily Dickinson or the music of Chuck Berry.

We approached a wide range of writers, historians, photographers and artists to share the breakthroughs they view as most significant. The resulting collection is often celebratory, sometimes surprising, inevitably eclectic: Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III considers what has made America such fertile ground for experimentation. Historian H.W. Brands shines a light on Benjamin Franklin’s greatest innovation. Novelist Geraldine Brooks evaluates the extraordinary impact of a radical work of fiction. Chef and culinary historian Michael Twitty uncovers the birth of American regional cuisine. Historian and Frederick Douglass biographer David Blight explores the most potent speech of America’s pre-eminent orator. Peter Salk reflects on his father’s determination to find a vaccine for a devastating disease.

We also examine lesser-known insights, epiphanies and efforts that transformed life in America and beyond: How did we learn to fly safely through thunderstorms? Who enabled the first surgery under anesthesia? What inspired Georgia O’Keeffe to perfect the Great American Painting? Where did Muddy Waters hear his own voice recorded for the first time? Why are so many cultural trends driven by teenagers—and who invented the teenager, anyway? You’ll also learn about groundbreaking inventions housed in the Smithsonian’s collections.

Additionally, the issue showcases strikingly original artwork: Victoria Maxfield captures Franklin’s alter egos. Tim O’Brien conjures the genius of folklorist Alan Lomax. Addison Green celebrates the allure of the soap opera. Ibrahim Rayintakath evokes Thomas Paine’s celestial inspiration. 

In sections broadly organized according to the founding American principles of life, liberty and happiness, we explore many other miraculous advances in science, medicine, conservation, space exploration, education, journalism, civil rights, music, literature, technology, comics, film, sports and so much more.

We hope you enjoy the issue.

Debra Rosenberg | Executive Editor