Good article. Thanks.
Let's not demote the Founding Fathers just yet because powerhouse growth actually goes all the way back. Output by Americans has been doubling every 41 years since the beginning and growth has been steady and exponential. The problem before 1900 is not with our ancestors, it's with the linear graph that makes their work seem so small. Let's look again at a logarithmic plot that shows each 41 year doubling equally:
Sure, we did have a pretty hefty recovery in the late 1930's, but we really wouldn't want to call it a 'hockey stick'