Another reason why Thomas Edison is considered a great American is because he helped improve the light bulb. “By the 1870’s, several inventors begun to find ways to produce electric light. Edison attended the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876 to examine the arc light exhibit displayed by the inventor Moses Farmer.” (Daniels) From this exhibit Edison believed that he could create a light bulb that had less glare and wasn’t as hard on the eye. “Edison needed a place to demonstrate his new invention. He chose to build his new system ion downtown Manhattan. To gain financial backing on his new project he decided to give a demonstration to potential investors. His demonstration earned him enough money to install electricity into a portion of Manhattan.” (Daniels) “The project was immense and would take years to complete. In addition to fine tuning the light bulb, Edison also needed to consider how to provide electricity on a large scale.” (Daniels) Edison was granted the patent for the light bulb in 1880. The invention of the light bulb showed that Edison could do great things with little to no money. And that he could persevere through many almost any obstacle that came in his way.