Americans in the nineteenth century enjoyed tremendous freedom and held a positive, efficacious sense of life. One of the most profound consequences of that unique century was its astonishing record of American inventiveness. This course investigates the history of American inventors and their relationship to the growth of capitalism and big business. Though many historians characterize the post-Civil War period as the Gilded Age, it is better understood as the Inventive Age—the high point of American ingenuity and life—improving advancement. In addition to discussing America's leading inventors, the course examines the philosophical and political prerequisites for these achievements.