‘Thomas Edison, the American inventor, once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. America had a gift for both of these. "Yankee ingenuity" had resulted
in the invention of the electric light bulb, the sewing machine, the phonograph and
telephone. Coupled with this was the "work ethic" of the USA - "rugged individualism"
which encouraged hard work and thrift.
... the USA had developed a strong business class and powerful industrial infrastructure.
Self-made millionaires such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller epitomised the
"American Dream". If you worked hard enough, you could be prosperous. The immigrant
population provided hard-working and cheap labour which made industrialisation such
a success.'
Murphy, D., Cooper, K. and Waldron, M. 2001. United States 1776-1992. Collins, p. 165.
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