Thomas A. Edison and the Modernization of America
             Thomas Alva Edison, 1847-1931, was an American inventor who made many contributions to society and helped revolutionize the way we communicate. Despite Edison's informal education and his inability to hold a job, his contributions and inventions had profound effects on the shaping of modern society.
             Growing up outside of Port Huron, Michigan, Edison did not have easy access to receiving a formal education. However, an attempt to receive a formal education was made. Edison first attended the private school of Reverend G.B. Engle. Unfortunately Edison did not respond well to the methods used to teach, and was considered a problem child due to his lack of attentiveness. He later attended school in Port Huron, where he was not considered to be a bright student. His hearing Problems caused him difficulty with his lessons and his attendance was sporadic at best. Edison lacked enthusiasm for obtaining a formal education, he felt that it did not encourage original thought or reasoning on put more emphasis on memory than observation. Edison's mother, Nancy, removed her son from school and started teaching him herself. By organizing lessons and encouraging Thomas to read he obtained a decent education. He became most interested in books on chemistry and was allowed to set!
             up a laboratory in his family's home, which his mother made him move to the basement because of the mess.
             Edison's desire to experiment and his curiosity unfortunately got him into some trouble and problems with employers as well. When Edison was a youth he experimented with one of his friends, Michael Oates, by convincing him to drink Seidlitz powder. Edison wanted to see if the gas would cause the boy to fly, but it did nothing but make him nauseous. In 1859 Edison got a job as candy butcher for the Grand Trunk Railroad, selling candy, newspapers,
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