How American Lighthouses Shaped A Newborn Nation

This year, the Boston Lighthouse is celebrating its 300th anniversary. The beloved beacon was first lit in September 1716, and has been guiding ships, attracting visitors and capturing the public's imagination ever since.

But the lighthouse is more than just a romantic structure in the American landscape.

The success of the U.S. economy could not have been achieved without the help of the iconic structures, according to Eric Jay Dolin. Dolin is the author of the new book, "Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse."

He says to look at a lighthouse is to see an instantaneous sense of history. And as he writes, "They quite literally lit the way for the United States."

Eric Jay Dolin, author of "Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse." He tweets @ericjaydolin.