How Nikola Tesla Changed America Essay Example
How Nikola Tesla Changed America Essay Example

How Nikola Tesla Changed America Essay Example

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  • Pages: 13 (3382 words)
  • Published: January 16, 2017
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Even though Thomas Edison is often linked to electricity and light, Nikola Tesla also played a crucial role in introducing electricity to America through his inventive concepts. Nevertheless, despite having the same level of talent as Edison, Tesla's accomplishments have largely been overlooked throughout history because he did not excel at promoting himself and because his ideas were ahead of their time.

Tesla, despite his destitute and solitary death, was a celebrated pioneer who played a vital part in America's scientific revolution that ushered in the technological age. Although the precise date of his birth is uncertain due to being born at midnight, it is widely acknowledged that Tesla was born on either July 9th or 10th, 1856 in Smilijan, Croatia. From the outset, it became clear that Tesla was meant for extraordinary accomplishments as his birth occurred amids

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t a vigorous thunderstorm.

Both Reverend Milutin Tesla, who was a religious individual from a lineage of scholars and clergymen, and Tesla's mother Djouka had high hopes for young Tesla. Reverend Tesla saw the storm as a sign that his son would spread the gospel's enlightenment, while Djouka believed in her son's potential to achieve success and become an enlightened child. Despite lacking formal education, Djouka possessed significant intelligence and capability, which Tesla credited for his inventive abilities. From early on, Nikola Tesla showed remarkable potential and creativity.

When Tesla was four years old, he created a small, basic waterwheel for the stream close to his house. With assistance from his brother Dane, Tesla successfully constructed and operated his invention. It was an unconventional waterwheel without paddles, which would later serve as

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the foundation for his "smooth disk turbine" invention in his career. Tesla consistently displayed his ingenuity and intelligence during his childhood, but he also faced obstacles during those initial years.

Throughout his life, Nikola Tesla faced numerous misfortunes, such as being trapped in a church and falling into a tub filled with hot milk. Additionally, he had various phobias, including germaphobia, that persisted throughout his entire life. Despite his father's wish for him to become a minister, Tesla never desired to be religious. However, after experiencing a severe illness just before starting college, Tesla managed to convince his father of his passion for pursuing a career in science. This led him to enroll at the Austrian Polytechnic Institute in Graz in 1875 with the intention of studying science.

During his initial year in college, Tesla was dedicated to fulfilling his desire for knowledge and meeting his parents' expectations. He undertook nine demanding courses with enthusiasm in order to broaden his understanding and maximize learning opportunities. Through unwavering determination, intense study sessions, and extended periods of isolation, Tesla not only successfully completed all nine courses but also achieved the highest distinctions in each one.

During his second year, Tesla's teachers recommended that he reduce his course load. He followed their advice and only registered for three courses: physics, mathematics, and mechanics. Although his peers held him in high esteem, they privately made fun of his idiosyncrasies and spread gossip about him. It was in one of his classes at the institute that Nikola Tesla experienced ridicule—an incident that would have worldwide consequences.

In 1876, the Polytechnic Institute at Gratz acquired a Gramme

Dynamo designed by the renowned American inventor Thomas Edison. To celebrate this significant milestone, Tesla's physics professor arranged for a class outing to witness the groundbreaking device. The international community was abuzz with anticipation and enthusiasm for Edison's inventions during this era. This extraordinary creation marked the beginning of a new age defined by electricity and its potential. As eloquently put by a writer, "The possibility of turning darkness into daylight was now within reach at any moment."

"The world was at the dawn of great discoveries and power”(Hunt, p. 9). The Gramme Dynamo, a device capable of generating electricity in the form of direct current, D.C., fascinated the entire class, especially young Nikola Tesla. Despite still being a new technology, when Tesla's professor showcased the machine, the metallic conducting brushes produced significant sparks. Tesla, known for his perfectionism, swiftly detected and commented on the flaws, suggesting that operating the machine without brushes could potentially enhance its performance.

Nikola Tesla had an "illuminati flash of understanding" and determined that the solution was to utilize alternating current, A.C. Despite facing ridicule for suggesting this concept alongside Edison's D.C. generator, Tesla remained undeterred and firmly believed he could resolve the issue using Edison's inventions. He persisted in his pursuit of a brushless A.C. generator, which became Tesla's quest for A.

C. power began with Tesla's entry into the workforce, where he made notable contributions to the companies he worked for, laying the foundation for his future undertakings. Following his education, Tesla secured a position at the American Telephone company in Budapest, Hungary. Initially employed as a technician, Tesla's extraordinary abilities quickly caught the eye

of his higher-ups. In a mere year since starting in 1881, Tesla was elevated to chief electrician and eventually became an engineer responsible for implementing Hungary's first telephone system.

During his time at the company, Tesla's innovative genius enabled him to invent the telephone repeater, essentially functioning as the initial loudspeaker. Despite its potential to bring Tesla significant wealth, he neglected to patent it, much like many of his subsequent creations, resulting in no financial gain. Furthermore, while employed at the American Telephone company in Budapest, Tesla encountered his first mental breakdown and found a solution to a long-standing problem from his college days.

Tesla's health declined after the metal collapse, rendering him bedridden and hypersensitive to sight, hearing, and touch. Despite his confinement, Tesla eventually regained enough strength to go for walks with a friend. It was during one of these walks that Tesla had a sudden stroke of genius and discovered the solution to the problem of A.C. motors. Overwhelmed with diagrams and schematics in his mind, he began drawing models in the sand using a stick as he eagerly tried to convey his revelation. This marked the start of a worldwide revolution in electrical science.

Following his employment at American Telephone company in Budapest, Tesla secured an advanced position at Societe Continental a le Edison and promptly moved to Paris, where he enjoyed living. In Paris, he served as a technical correspondent between France and Germany while continuing his work on the A.C. motor project.

Tesla, who had the ability to speak multiple languages, played a crucial role as a technical correspondent and advisor at Societe Continental. His

main objective was to bridge the gap between the French and German divisions of Edison Company. Unfortunately, in 1801, an electricity-related accident occurred at a newly constructed power plant in Strassburg, Germany, resulting in a collapsed wall. Surprisingly, Germany refused to take responsibility for this incident, causing financial difficulties for the French company.

To resolve this challenging situation, Tesla was sent to Germany with a dual mission of problem-solving and mediation. Despite facing immense pressure, he tirelessly worked day and night at the power plant to rectify the issue while still fulfilling his correspondence duties.

After completing most of his work, he rented a small shop across the street from his home to materialize his vision of the A.C. motor. Tesla spent his free time perfecting his machine in the shop while also working at the plant or in his office. Finally, in the summer of 1801, Tesla finished building his motor. The mayor of Strassburg was a fan of the young inventor and tried to help him secure financial backing for his new A.C. system. However, people were more interested in Edison and his creations, and no one cared about Tesla's ideas. This made Tesla feel dejected.

Tesla's invention, despite its significant commercial potential in the field of electrical science, was completely rejected. According to O’Neil (p. 56-57), he was perplexed by this rejection. While working in Strassburg, Tesla was promised a substantial amount of money for his work. However, upon returning to Paris after completing the project, he discovered that the promised funds never materialized. As a result, he had to repeatedly plead with three officials who would simply

pass him off to one another. Unfortunately, this pattern of undervaluing Tesla's outstanding contributions persisted throughout his entire career.

It was Charles Batchellor, a close friend of Thomas Edison, who gave Tesla the opportunity to embark on a brighter future. Batchellor encouraged Tesla to travel to America, a supposedly promising land, to meet and collaborate with the renowned inventor Edison. With a glowing letter of recommendation from Batchellor, Tesla set off for America, the land of hope and prosperity that he would deeply impact. In late 1801, Tesla packed his belongings in Paris and started his journey to the New World.

Due to his absentmindedness, similar to many great geniuses, Tesla was unfortunate enough to have his luggage, money, and ticket stolen before reaching the boat heading to America. Nevertheless, thanks to his remarkable photographic memory, Nikola Tesla had memorized his ticket number. As no one claimed that particular seat, he was granted permission to board the boat, thus commencing his journey. Arriving in New York, Nikola Tesla possessed merely four cents in his possession alongside a book containing his own poetry and a scrap of paper containing some equations hastily written down. The sole valuable possession he had on him was the letter of recommendation for Edison, which he had received from Batchellor.

Tesla could not afford the cab fare to reach the home of his friend, so he started walking down the street in this new country. His initial impression of America was not what he had expected. As he observed his surroundings, he saw a country that was "raw, rough, and machined." Tesla believed that America was a hundred

years behind Europe in terms of civilization. Unbeknownst to him, his own inventions would propel it a century ahead (Dommermout-Costa, p. 83). While walking down the streets of New York after his arrival, Tesla passed by a shop where he noticed a man working on an electrical machine.

The man was on the verge of giving up and gladly accepted Tesla's assistance. Tesla was acquainted with the machine and together, they managed to restore it to its original condition. Upon completing the task, the worker gave Tesla a twenty-dollar bill. In just a few hours since arriving in America, Tesla had already earned twenty dollars. America was proving to be a land of prosperity after all.

Shortly after, Tesla managed to meet Edison and brought a letter of recommendation. When he encountered Edison, he was awestruck by this remarkable man, who had achieved so much without any early advantage or scientific training (Nikola Tesla). Filled with excitement, Tesla eagerly attempted to discuss his A. C. motor with Edison. However, Edison refused to entertain any discussion about A. C. power. After their brief meeting, Edison immediately assigned the young foreign inventor a task. Tesla's first assignment was to fix the lighting dynamos on the SS Oregon, which was known as one of the fastest passenger ships at that time. Edison was stumped by the problem, so he entrusted it to Tesla.

Despite the dynamos being in a very poor condition, Tesla and his enlisted crew members spent the entire night repairing them. By 4 am the next morning, they had successfully completed the job, impressing even Edison. However, Tesla did not receive any

special acknowledgement for his efforts. Throughout the following year, Nikola Tesla continued to work tirelessly for Edison, outperforming other employees and frequently staying late to complete additional tasks. Despite his diligent efforts, Tesla only received a few words of praise from Edison and when he asked for a raise, it was simply refused.

Tesla's opinion of Edison deteriorated over time. Despite recognizing Edison's genius and respecting him for it, Tesla strongly disapproved of Edison's scientific approach. He found it tedious, drawn-out, and painfully slow. Tesla once commented on Edison's methods, saying, "If Edison had a needle to find in a haystack, he would diligently examine straw after straw until he found it. ... I was sorry to witness such actions, knowing that a little theory and calculation could have saved him ninety percent of his effort" (Nikola Tesla).

Edison's mentality was that genius is "one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." Conversely, Tesla believed in thoroughly contemplating and examining all possibilities before taking any action. The bond between these two inventors was formed due to what Edison referred to as "a little American humor." However, while working for Edison, Tesla always found the inefficiency and obvious faults in his generators off-putting. He firmly believed that he could significantly enhance the generators and conveyed this to Edison.

Tesla proposed an improvement for the generators to Edison, who was amazed and promised him $50,000 if he succeeded. Tesla agreed without hesitation and worked hard to successfully upgrade the Edison generators. However, when Tesla asked for his payment, Edison dismissed it as a joke and laughed it off, saying that Tesla didn't understand "American humor." This incident

greatly shocked and disgusted Tesla, leading him to promptly resign from his position with Edison. As a result, a bitter rivalry between the two inventors started and continued until they died.

Following his departure from Edison, Tesla faced ongoing financial struggles that would persist until the end of his life. To sustain himself, he took on lowly jobs while maintaining unwavering faith in alternating current (A.C.). Shortly after resigning, Tesla was approached by George Westinghouse, a prosperous investor and staunch advocate for A.C. Impressed by Tesla's A.C. motor, Westinghouse viewed it as the future of the electricity industry. Consequently, Tesla joined the Westinghouse Electrical Company and rapidly made progress in advancing his A.C.

The invention of the C. motor initiated the "War of the Currents" between Tesla and Edison. They had contrasting power system preferences and financial supporters. Tesla and Westinghouse favored A. C. current, while Edison and his backers, including J. P. Morgan and members of the Vanderbilt family, backed D.C. current. The preference for A.C. current was limited to a small group of Tesla supporters due to its advantages over D.C., such as lacking certain limitations.

The D. C. system, despite being able to be sent great distances with small wires and very few power stations, had a flaw. It could only work on short distances and required power stations every two miles for it to be carried along wires to cities. On the other hand, A. C. was a smoother and more efficient system than D. C. It would eventually bring America into a greater electrical age. However, Tesla faced difficulties supporting A. C. because he was not a

good advertiser, unlike Edison who already had a massive loyal following.

Edison recognized the potential of A. C. power and actively worked to impede Tesla's success, asserting that it was hazardous and unfit for city use. In his attempt to undermine Tesla's reputation, Edison conducted public demonstrations, such as electrocuting animals and even a circus elephant, to showcase the dangers of A. C. current. Additionally, Edison devised the electric chair, which operated on A. C. current.

In 1893, the Westinghouse Electrical Company succeeded in promoting A. C. current by obtaining the contract to provide electricity for the World Fair in Chicago, Illinois. This event, known as the Columbian Exposition, attracted numerous curious individuals. President Grover Cleveland inaugurated the expo by activating a single switch that instantly illuminated the exhibition area with thousands of lights, turning it into a dazzling "City of Light." The spectators were amazed by the impressive power of A.

On that day, C. current made its debut to the general public and it was a successful event. Tesla's exhibit at the fair increased excitement for the new A. C. system. In his exhibit, Tesla showcased the impressive abilities of A. C. current in a large area illuminated by fluorescent lights, an invention of his own. He amazed the audience by using his body to pass A.C power and light a bulb held in his hand, as well as wirelessly powering the lights in his exhibit.

The crowd was captivated by Tesla's impressive accomplishments in electrical engineering on that day, which sparked a strong interest in the new technology. This led to over 80 percent of electrical devices ordered

in the United States being specifically designed for alternating current, marking the start of Tesla's technological revolution (Tesla: Life and Legacy). Soon after this triumph, Tesla was given the opportunity to participate in the Niagara Falls Power Plant Project, where he harnessed the power of Niagara Falls for energy generation.

As a young child, Tesla's dream was always to harness the immense power of a natural wonder. He saw an opportunity to fulfill this dream when he decided to build a device that could capture the power of a waterfall. Despite the project being costly and time-consuming, Tesla had confidence in his ability to succeed. Investors such as J. P. Morgan, John Jacob Astor, and W. K. Vanderbilt doubted funding for what they believed would be an unsuccessful endeavor. However, after five years of dedicated work, Tesla proved them wrong with his unwavering confidence.

After the completion of the project, electricity was introduced to Buffalo, New York at midnight on November 16, 1896, when the power switch was flipped. This endeavor proved to be highly successful and generated a significant demand for electricity. Initially, the first 1000 horsepower of energy was allocated to the street railway company. With further expansion, the power plant eventually housed ten generators, supplying a total of six thousand horsepower of energy. As a result, power lines were installed throughout New York City, illuminating Broadway with lights.

The street and elevated railways, as well as the subway system, utilized electricity for power. Edison's systems also underwent a conversion to run on alternating current (A.C.) power. Tesla played a critical role in electrifying America and propelling it into the future

by 1900. He continually innovated and introduced new technologies that advanced the country. Furthermore, Tesla's revolutionary inventions ignited a significant era of scientific progress. Additionally, he made other noteworthy contributions to American society, including the invention of the fluorescent light bulb which only became commercially available in the mid-1900s.

Tesla is famous for his various inventions, such as AC powered trolleys, the speedometer, spark plug, neon lights, early radar ideas, and the radio. Although Marconi is often credited with inventing the radio, the Supreme Court determined that Tesla was its true original creator. Furthermore, he also created robots and the remote control and made a noteworthy discovery in the 1950s concerning Earth's resonance frequency after originally proposing it. Additionally, Tesla's theories formed the basis for developing microprocessors.

Tesla had numerous unrealized ideas, including Wardenclyffe Tower and the Telefunken Station, designed to establish worldwide wireless power and communication. Furthermore, in his later years, he conceived the concept of a "death ray", an extraordinarily potent weapon intended to prevent future wars. Ultimately, Tesla relocated all of these exceptional ideas and innovations to America, propelling the country towards a more promising and radiant future.

Nikola Tesla, an important figure in American science, is unfortunately often overlooked and forgotten. Textbooks ignore his name and classrooms disregard his contributions. The general public of America remains largely unaware of Tesla's existence. In stark contrast, Thomas Edison enjoys global recognition for his name. The rivalry between Tesla and Edison was so fierce that Edison dedicated himself to erasing Tesla's accomplishments from historical records.

Edison's triumph over Tesla, supported by influential individuals such as J.

P. Morgan and the Vanderbilt family, overshadowed Tesla's reputation and his societal contributions. Due to Edison's actions, Tesla faced obstacles in acquiring patents, resulting in his groundbreaking work remaining hidden from the public eye and ultimately causing him to fade into obscurity in history. Nevertheless, it is essential to recognize and commemorate Tesla as one of America's most ingenious intellects who played a crucial part in catapulting the nation into the technological era of the 20th century.

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