Author: Jeffrey Inman

  • Let’s Color Together | Jeffy Reviews Markers!

    Let’s Color Together | Jeffy Reviews Markers!

    Coloring is one of those hobbies that can be incredibly inexpensive for the time returned enjoying said hobby based on the amount of money spent. It can also be a pretty expensive hobby, if you go all out and load up on supplies (guilty as charged). One of the most important components of coloring is…

  • New Country, Who Dis?

    New Country, Who Dis?

    The Founding Era of American Innovation (1776-1799) saw the U.S. transform from a revolutionary idea into a nation, pioneered remarkable inventions, established legal protections for creativity, and fostered systems that fueled both progress and exploitation, highlighting complexities of innovation.

  • Mary Wollstonecraft

    Mary Wollstonecraft

    She was not your feminist fairy godmother. Buckle Up, Besties! Today we’re headed to late eighteenth century London to meet Mary Wollstonecraft, a woman who spent her life getting paid to be difficult in print. She didn’t invent the notion that women deserve an education, rights, or a say in their own lives. Other women…

  • The Ultimate American Icon

    The Ultimate American Icon

    Everything You Wanted (or Didn’t) to Know About the Pinnacle of American Cuisine: the Hot Dog We Built That!? | A JMiF Original Series Buckle Up, Besties! I hope you brought an appetite, because you are about to embark on a deep, unabridged rabbit hole journey. I made the decision to randomly pick one topic…

  • Why Any Of This Matters

    Why Any Of This Matters

    Samuel Hopkins received the first patent in U.S. history on July 31, 1790, granting him a monopoly on a method to produce potash from burnt wood ashes. Despite the process’s efficiency, his business struggled as potential customers chose traditional methods. This marks the beginning of intricate questions surrounding invention ownership and patent law in America.

  • Before America Was America

    Before America Was America

    The post discusses American invention and innovation, emphasizing that the nation’s creative legacy began long before July 4, 1776. Indigenous peoples had developed significant agricultural, architectural, and technological systems for thousands of years prior to European colonization. The narrative explores the complex interplay of cultures and knowledge during the Columbian Exchange, highlighting how enslaved Africans…

  • Kathleen Hanna

    Kathleen Hanna

    She wrote “SLUT” on her stomach in marker before shows, so the men reducing her to a body would have to read the word off her skin, in her handwriting.

  • The Women of the British SOE

    The Women of the British SOE

    Britain sent women behind enemy lines because Nazi sexism made them invisible. A man of fighting age was a target. A woman with a shopping basket was furniture.

  • Illinovation | Aaaaand Now!

    Illinovation | Aaaaand Now!

    In 1977, the Chicago Bulls transformed sports introductions by pioneering a dramatic lights-out lineup presentation, creating an emotional experience amidst uncertain game outcomes. As Chicago Stadium struggled with attendance, a unique pregame ritual emerged, utilizing darkness, spotlights, and music led by announcer Tommy Edwards. This innovation culminated with the iconic instrumental “Sirius,” which ingrained the…

  • Introducing We Built That!?: A Road Trip Across America to Discover 250+ Years of American Innovation

    Introducing We Built That!?: A Road Trip Across America to Discover 250+ Years of American Innovation

    We Built That!? is a road trip through more than 250 years of American invention and innovation, from the ideas that shaped the nation before it existed to the technologies defining what comes next. Along the way, Jeffrey “Jeffy” Inman digs into forgotten inventors, stolen credit, contested claims, patents, power, and the overlooked contributions of…