Did you know that the United States government was once so worried that the Wright Brothers would use their invention to gain power that they tried to purchase the patent for $100,000?

&#x200B;<br><br>This is not true. I couldn’t find any evidence that this event ever occurred, and it seems like it would be impossible for the government to have tried to purchase the patent. <br><br>The U.S. government did, however, have concerns that the Wright brothers would use their invention for military purposes. The U.S. Navy had been experimenting with gliders since 1898, and they were eager to capitalize on powered flight. The U.S. Navy was able to persuade the U.S. Congress to appropriate funds for them to purchase a Wright Flyer and to build a hangar to house it. This was the first building in history ever constructed with the sole purpose of housing an airplane. The Navy did not purchase the patent. <br><br>The U.S. Army also had some interest in the Wright brothers and their invention. Orville and Wilbur were able to secure a meeting with army officials to demonstrate the plane. <br><br>There were a lot of people who were skeptical that the Wright Brothers were the true inventors, so the U.S. Army had the Wright Brothers demonstrate their plane for Secretary of War William Taft and Assistant Secretary of War Fred A. Scribner in 1908. They were able to secure a contract with the U.S. Army in 1908 for $25,000 per year for two years (totaling $50,000 total). The U.S. Army was not able to purchase the patent. <br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>&#x200B;