In 1859, Abraham Lincoln noted that the patent system “… has secured to the inventor, for a limited time, the exclusive use of (an) invention; and thereby added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius….”
President Lincoln knew what he was talking about. He’s the only U.S. president who received a patent, No. 6,469, in 1849.
And while others may have suggested it, Lincoln’s words need to be showcased somewhere (anywhere) at the Lincoln Memorial. Visitors to Lincoln’s Memorial should know that he cared about inventors, as well as preserving the Union.
