As we celebrate America’s Independence Day—and enjoy everything that comes from the historic event—let’s take a brief look back: Following the country’s independence, there  a great success that came as a result. The Industrial Revolution occurred shortly after, and the U.S. was built on this revolution. The manufacturing industry was born out of it, and what followed was the rise of America to the forefront of the world in every sector.

Simply put, out of our freedom came our country’s entire success.

Now let’s look at American manufacturing today. As noted in this article, manufacturing “is essential to innovation, and tightly linked to our nation’s economic health and national security…[manufacturing’s] output came to $1.9 trillion in 2012, and by itself would have made the world’s tenth largest economy. The U.S. manufacturing sector was larger than the total economies of India, Canada, Mexico, or South Korea.”

And according to NAM:

• Manufacturing supports an estimated 17.4 million jobs in the United States—about one in six private-sector jobs.
• For every $1.00 spent in manufacturing, another $1.32 is added to the economy, the highest multiplier effect of any economic sector.
• Manufacturers in the United States are the most productive in the world, far surpassing the worker productivity of any other major manufacturing economy, leading to higher wages and living standards.

The fact is, manufacturing today is as important to our country’s success and future as it was when it first began following the country’s independence and the Industrial Revolution. Innovation, employment, technology, the economy, and infinite other factors grow and improve from American manufacturing.

So this July 4th, as you enjoy barbeques and fireworks, remember the importance of buying American, and what making this decision means to the entire success and livelihood of the country; every decision to buy a Made in America product makes a major impact in myriad ways.