Independence Day is upon us! I’ve made a list of 10 American inventions used by Adafruit every day. Obviously, this list could number a lot more than 10 things, and it doesn’t claim to be definitive. It’s just good, clean American fun!

1. Mail Order (1744 – Benjamin Franklin) — and by extension distant, worldwide commerce on an interpersonal level. It’s the reason why someone in the Philippines can buy a clock from a company in New York City that’s made with a display which comes from a country that doesn’t even exist anymore.

2. Swivel Chair (1776 – Thomas Jefferson) — A life without a swivel chair is hardly a life at all. Adafruit has nice ones. I think Adabot picked them up at a Goldman-Sachs garage sale.

3. Refrigeration (1805 – Oliver Evans) — Keeps the beer cider cold.

4. Electric Doorbell (1831 – Joseph Henry) — The UPS man is here!

5. Vacuum Cleaner (1860 – Daniel Hess) — Adafruit has a cat, therefore Adafruit has a vacuum cleaner. This one looks like one of those squid machines from The Matrix.

6. Chewing Gum (1870 – Thomas Adams) — We buy our gum in tins. Then we throw out the gum and put electronics inside the tins. Circle of life.

7. Tape dispenser (1932 — John A. Borden) — Ensures freshness!

8. Digital Computer – (1937 — George Stibitz) — It’s a nice novelty, but it’ll never really catch on.

9. Compiler (1949 – Grace Hopper) — It’s how we tell those little chips what to do and when to do it.

10. Ctrl+Alt+Delete (1981 – David Bradley) — This doesn’t actually happen every day, but it does happen. And it’s always someone else’s fault.

Have a great 4th of July!