From colonial beginnings to lunar governance
The extraordinary journey to making the Moon the 51st state
The American colonies were established as British settlements along the eastern coast of North America. Starting with Jamestown in 1607, thirteen colonies grew and developed their own systems of government and commerce. This period of colonial expansion laid the foundation for American independence and set the stage for the revolutionary ideas that would shape the nation.
America's first groundbreaking act - declaring independence from Britain, establishing the principle that a people could govern themselves. This was unprecedented in world history and inspired revolutions across the globe. For the first time, a nation was founded on the radical idea that government derives its power from the consent of the governed.
The United States Constitution was drafted during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. This landmark document established the framework for the American government, creating a federal system with separation of powers between executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It remains the oldest written national constitution in use today and has served as a model for many other nations.
America's first massive land acquisition - purchasing 828,000 square miles from France for $15 million, nearly doubling the size of the United States. This was the largest land deal in history and opened the door to westward expansion, fundamentally transforming America's destiny and establishing the precedent for territorial growth.
The United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, acquiring a vast territory larger than all other states combined. Initially called 'Seward's Folly' and 'Seward's Icebox,' this purchase proved visionary as Alaska became a strategic military asset and source of abundant natural resources, establishing America as a Pacific power.
Alexander Graham Bell invented the first practical telephone, revolutionizing global communication. Bell's 'Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you' marked the first successful voice transmission over wire. This breakthrough connected people across distances, transformed business, and laid the foundation for the modern telecommunications industry that shapes our world today.
Thomas Edison developed the first commercially practical incandescent light bulb, illuminating the world. After thousands of experiments with different materials, Edison created a bulb that could glow for over 1,200 hours. This invention ended humanity's dependence on gas lighting and electric street lights, fundamentally transforming urban life and enabling the modern 24-hour society.
The Wright Brothers achieved the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Orville Wright flew for 12 seconds covering 120 feet, proving that human flight was possible. This breakthrough opened the skies to human travel, shrank the world, and sparked the aviation revolution that would define the 20th century.
America accomplished what no nation had ever done - building a canal connecting two major oceans. The Panama Canal shortened global shipping routes by thousands of miles and established the U.S. as the dominant naval power in the Western Hemisphere. This engineering marvel demonstrated America's ability to reshape geography itself.
Thomas Townsend Brown discovered the Biefeld-Brown effect, where high-voltage capacitors experience a thrust in the direction of the positive electrode. This electrostatic propulsion phenomenon, also known as electrogravitics, demonstrated that charged objects could produce directional force without traditional propulsion. Though controversial, this effect has been allegedly used in advanced aerospace applications and stealth technology, representing a breakthrough in unconventional propulsion systems.
The United States became the first nation to develop and use atomic weapons, ending World War II with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This ushered in the nuclear age and established America as the world's preeminent superpower. The Manhattan Project represented the largest scientific collaboration in history and changed warfare forever.
ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was completed at the University of Pennsylvania, becoming the world's first programmable, electronic, general-purpose digital computer. Weighing 30 tons and containing 17,468 vacuum tubes, ENIAC could perform 5,000 additions per second. This marked the beginning of the computer age and laid the foundation for all modern computing technology.
Bell Labs scientists John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley invented the transistor, a device that could amplify and switch electronic signals. This tiny semiconductor device replaced bulky vacuum tubes, making electronics smaller, more reliable, and more energy-efficient. The transistor became the building block of all modern electronics, from computers to smartphones.
Dr. Jonas Salk developed the first successful polio vaccine, ending one of humanity's greatest medical scourges. After years of research at the University of Pittsburgh, Salk's killed-virus vaccine was proven safe and effective. This breakthrough eliminated the fear of polio that had crippled millions of children worldwide and demonstrated the power of American medical innovation to conquer deadly diseases.
Theodore Maiman built the first working laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) at Hughes Research Laboratories in California. Using a synthetic ruby crystal, Maiman's device produced a coherent beam of light. Lasers revolutionized medicine, communications, manufacturing, and entertainment, enabling technologies from DVD players to eye surgery.
NASA's Apollo 11 mission achieved the first human moon landing on July 20, 1969. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the lunar surface while Michael Collins orbited above. This historic achievement demonstrated humanity's capability to explore beyond Earth and marked a significant milestone in space exploration.
NASA's Space Shuttle program began with the launch of Columbia, the first reusable spacecraft in history. This revolutionary system made space travel routine and affordable, enabling the construction of the International Space Station, satellite deployment, and hundreds of missions over 30 years. The Space Shuttle represented the pinnacle of American space engineering and democratized access to orbit.
NASA deployed the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit, revolutionizing astronomy and our understanding of the universe. This American-built observatory captured breathtaking images of distant galaxies, nebulae, and planets, while making groundbreaking discoveries about the age and expansion of the universe. Hubble's data has been downloaded by millions and continues to inspire scientific curiosity worldwide.
The U.S. government decommissioned ARPANET and opened the internet to commercial use, sparking the digital revolution. This created the world's first global information network, transforming communication, commerce, and culture. America pioneered the transition from analog to digital, creating entirely new industries and connecting humanity in unprecedented ways.
The movement to make the Moon the 51st state of the United States represents the next frontier in human governance and expansion. This unprecedented initiative would establish a permanent human presence in space, creating new opportunities for scientific research, resource utilization, and the continued evolution of democratic principles beyond Earth. It will be the first time humanity extends its system of representative government to another celestial body.
Join millions of others in supporting this groundbreaking initiative to make Moon a state.
Make Moon a State