His Method Was A Testament To The Can-Do Spirit Manufacturing Made Easy: Whitney's innovative approach to business helped make the American system the gold standard.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(BEST OF LEADERS & SUCCESS)

Publication: Investor's Business Daily

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Byline: TOM DWORETZKY

It was a make-or-break moment for Eli Whitney and the nation.

Whitney was meeting with President Jefferson and his advisers in 1801 to get their continued support for his radical approach to making muskets.

Whitney was struggling with the new concepts of mass production and interchangeable parts. He was about to miss the deadline on a contract to deliver 10,000 firearms.

But Whitney turned out to be as good a salesman as he was an inventor. He'd carefully pre-selected parts for 10 muskets from his struggling factory and made sure they fit together smoothly. Before the presentation, he spread the parts on a table, giving the appearance of a random lot. Then he casually picked up the pieces and effortlessly them together to assemble complete firearms -- one...

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