Black First of the Day
Which Black American inventor had the first patent?
- He was the founder and president of the Legal Rights Association.
- Granville T. Woods (1856-1910)--often called the "Black Edison" having received twenty-two patents--was born three years before his death.
- He was a tailor and dry cleaner in New York City.
- He received it for a drycleaning process.
1821
Thomas L. Jennings (1791-1859)
Thomas L. Jennings (1791-1859) is believed to be the first black to receive a patent, for a drycleaning process, on March 3, 1821. He was a tailor and dry cleaner in New York City and an active abolitionist; he was the founder and president of the Legal Rights Association.
Sources: Haskins, Jim, Outward Dreams, pp. 4-5; James, The Real McCoy, p. 31; Katz, Eyewitness: The Negro in American History, pp. 98, 99, 139.
From Black Firsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Events by Jessie Carney Smith, © 2013 Visible Ink Press®. A celebration of achievement, accomplishments and pride.
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