The Rise and Fall of American Technology

“There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human
intelligence, imagination, and wonder.”—Ronald Reagan

The previous chapter described the conditions, which created the Golden Age, and indicated the scope and prowess of American researchers, developers, engineers, and innovators. This chapter elaborates on the scope of American innovations during the Golden Age by presenting a very limited number of examples, which had a profound impact on the American economy, its well-being, and the world. The scope and depth represented by these examples is truly astounding. A short vignette outlining the path of discovery and innovation presents each example, except those presented elsewhere in the book. These vignettes illustrate the technology development process at work. The conditions and the results support the claim that the period between the end of World War I and the end of the Cold War has been a Golden Age for American technology.

See Chapter 3.

Although China had made and used solid propellant rockets since 1180 AD, the first successful launch of a liquid propellant rocket took place in a cabbage patch in 1926 in Auburn, Massachusetts. This is an example of a demonstration of a Phase Two device. Robert H. Goddard’s lifelong interest in rockets and space travel led to this historical event, which opened the door to modern rocketry, satellites, and manned space flight. Goddard’s pioneering work served as a basis for much of Herbert von Braun’s work on Germany’s V-2 weapons during World War II, and afterwards on the United States’ space program.

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