The original lawnmower- a clean-looking ensemble of blades, wheels, and a push-handle- was made by Edwin Beard Budding. This invention entered the British scene  in the year of 1830, bringing a new fervor and ease in assembling grassy, outdoor carpets. It didn't take long for the machine to “jump the pond” and soon Americans adopted the British manicured turf: first using the basic invention, then buying the new “gas-powered mowers”. However, it was American Cecil Pond who brilliantly, just after World War 2, created a riding lawnmower.  The world of handsome lawns should have seen it coming; of course it was an American who took an invention that already gratified a genteel world, and made it more comfortable, efficient, and desirable. But American ambition and creativity is not all the riding lawnmower symbolizes. As the riding lawnmower requires more effort to manufacture than the push mower,  it also demands a heftier sum to purchase; therefore, the average worker must work hard, and aspire toward such a luxury- a concept no American is shy of. The riding lawnmower is, indeed, an American cultural artifact because it symbolizes American ingenuity, and tolerance towards hard work.
The American culture is constantly striving towards betterment, both on an individual scale and as a society. This directly leads to continual improvement-which explains America's global dominance. Thomas Jefferson felt that the long-loved wooden chair restricted his liberty while sitting, and so he bettered the world's seating arrangement by inventing the swivel chair. America grew weary of brutishly beating the dust from their carpets during the early 20th century, and thus Ives McGaffey and John Thurman separately created the infant of the vacuum cleaner (John Thurman even started a door-to-door business out of the machine, being true to the industrious American spirit). Americans are a people of ambition, and this tireless strive perfectly characterizes the nation's spirit. For this reason, the riding lawnmower is an heirloom of America, as it was created out of a determined sentiment, and the constant endeavor towards improvement. Americans refuse to simply solve a problem -in the case of the lawnmower, having a gas-powered could have sufficed perfectly in trimming grass. Libertarians must make things the best they can possibly be, increasing comfort, affordability, and whatever other element that can possibly be tweaked. The riding lawnmower is a case study of this idea.
The mobile case study that represents American ambition was, as a rule, made by an American. Cecil Pond was a proud member of a small, rural town in Indiana, where he and his father produced garden tractors out of their garage. Cecil enjoyed tinkering with tractors, always attempting to manipulate the machine: eventually, his experiments produced the riding lawnmower. The mower consists of a large engine, housed in the front of the vehicle.  It appears almost like a car, if one overlooks there being only a single, cushioned seat and no sheltering frame. Behind the engine, and in front of the back tires sits cutting-blades to the left and a grass deposit shoot to the right. To control the powerful blades, there is a mechanical blade engagement system, fitted comfortably by the steering wheel and key slot. There are also shifting gears, usually located on the fender, along with a cup holder on the opposite side, so that the driver's favorite beverage is not jabbed by his elbow. This model of American ingenuity grooms the lawn better than any other machine, and represents the “American Dream”; but it is a luxury that can only be attained through hard work.
Riding lawnmowers are not cheap- in fact they are fairly expensive. A basic costs at least $844, while the fanciest can reach $2000. This is why the average buyer must have at least a steady paycheck, and perhaps a bit of savings, in order to take one home. That is to say, they must be working hard and diligently in order to attain a treat that can decorate their domestic lives. However, few Americans can be found who are unwilling, or incapable of rising to a challenge- and thus the riding lawn mower represents a proud tolerance towards labor, so long as there is a goal to reach. Even if it takes years to become financially stable enough to upgrade from the strenuous push to a graceful ride, those years will be a period of sweat, hope, and endurance.
An example occurred within the life of a mundane man from Columbus, Ohio- Hubert Wallen West. He began his adult life bunking with family, sometimes living under playground shelters, and eventually living in a small rural home, with his wife whom he married at 19 years old. He pursued the blue collar lifestyle, working as a mechanic, handyman, or in any available employment. Throughout this period he would, regularly, mow his lawn with a push mower- symbolizing his existence of diligent, physical work. Eventually he landed a steady career in maintenance, and was able to purchase his dream: A glistening, emerald riding lawnmower from Tractor Supply. As he saddled into the machine, and mowed his .25 acre property,  he felt he lived the American dream. This is because, after a life of strain, both in the workforce and in the realm of his yard, he was able to afford ease.
In conclusion, the riding lawnmower depicts American culture, particularly the ambition and tolerance towards labor held by the nation. As with all machines, the lawnmower could not simply be useful: it had to be great. That is why Cecil Pond, a symbol of American ingenuity,  created a mower that was better, bigger, and more astonishing than the rest. Who knows which advancements in mowers will come next- but surely, it will be an unsatisfied, dreamer of an American who will make that leap. The riding mower also represents America's culture in the sense that it is a nation of determination. In order to gain leisure and causality, America works hard- sometimes for a lifetime- to achieve its dream. The riding lawnmower is an American cultural artifact because it symbolizes American ingenuity, and tolerance towards hard work.