When the colonies of the US declared independence from Great Britain in 1776 many scientists were largely dependent on Europe for many things, such as the shipping of botanical specimens across the Atlantic, for example.

In the 19th century this changed, with the States being able to be more responsible for their very own, home-grown American science and engineering. The 20th century really saw America become an international leader when it came to great achievements to science and technology that still affects the lives of everyone around the whole world.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of America and was known for many trades and is still recognised for his work in the world of science- you can even find his face on the $100 bill.

Franklin’s research led to the invention of the lighting rod, which then gave way to the invention of batteries, which many people felt was a representation of the beginning of US science.

The US can also be applauded for taking a leading role in the world of palaeontology. The late 19th century saw the discovery of many fossils thanks to Othniel Charles Marsh, who spent most of his career in Yale University.

He published studies on everything from fossil horses to toothed birds and dinosaurs and these all helped to put the US on the palaeontology map, along with the help of Marsh’s rival Edward Drinker Cope.

Since the late 1800’s, some of the largest telescopes in the world were being constructed in the states, which made the country the place to be when it came to observational astronomy.

Some of the greatest discoveries when it came to space belong to Edwin Hubble who spent much of his time observing the stars at the Mount Wilson Observatory in California. In the 1920’s Hubble was able to discover that the Milky Way is just one of the many galaxies that fill the universe and this has forever changed how astronomers view out place in the universe.

On 20th July 1969 the USA was able to celebrate one of the most unimaginable and greatest technological feats by landing the first astronauts on the moon. Neil Armstrong famously said while planting the first human footprint on another world, ‘that’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’.

The technology involved in getting someone up on the moon has paved the way for further scientific discovery too.

The internet has to be one of the most impressive discoveries to me made in the last 100 years and came about through the hard work of many American engineers and scientists.

The internet enabled the partnership of the federal government and the private sector to come together and key players responsible for its creation began their work in the 1960s. The hard work of the Department Of Defence and the National Science Foundation enabled there to be foundations laid in terms of the impressive range of computer communication networks that we recognise today.

It can certainly be said that the USA had an important role to play in many of the benefits we see today when it comes to science and technology and has paved the way for the creation and development of so many other important discoveries.

If you’re interested in making a trip over the Atlantic, then be sure to go online and complete a USA Visa application. Attaining an ESTA before you travel will ensure you are allowed entry into the country without difficulty.