EXACTLY 150 YEARS AGO, on June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger landed on Galveston Island with 2,000 federal troops and issued General Order No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.
This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them, becomes that between employer and hired labor.”
The proclamation Granger referred to was, of course, the Emancipation Proclamation, which President Lincoln had signed two and a half years earlier but which had been impossible to enforce until the end of the Civil War.
At the time of the order, there were approximately 250,000 slaves in Texas. Over the following years many of them left rural plantations for rapidly growing urban areas like Houston, Austin and San Antonio, where they continued holding annual celebrations every year on June 19—Juneteenth, as it became known.
In 1872, a group of African American ministers in Houston helped raise money from the community to purchase a 10-acre plot of land in the Third Ward, which they named Emancipation Park.
It has served as the cultural center of the city’s African American community, and the site of Juneteenth celebrations, ever since.
The following join the ranks of many great African-American inventors who have contributed greatly to society throughout the years.
Many black inventors have struggled with hardship, poverty and, in some circumstances, slavery, to prove their genius to the world. The following are but a few of the many inventive and talented members of the black community in the United States.
Many of the entries on this list are derived from the dutiful work of one Mr. Henry Baker who worked for the U.S. Patent Office between the late 1800's and early 1900's. At this time, the African-Americans had few rights so Henry wanted to make sure that some, at least, received some form of unofficial recognition for their contributions to society.
This list is not exhaustive but is comprehensive and is in alphabetical order.
You can find the list version at the end of the content.
Additional information: George is best known as the inventor of the Imagining X-Ray Spectrometer. This would ultimately earn him the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Inventor of the Year in 1984.
George was born in March of 1940 who would later earn his B.A. in Physics in 1962, a Masters in 1963 and Ph.D. in 1967. He would spend a large portion of his career at NASA. Alcorn has around 20 other inventions to his name too.
Additional information: Leonard was born in 1825 into poverty and physically disabled. He would go on to receive various patents for his inventions.
Bailey also invented the rapid mail-stamping machine, a device to shunt trains to different tracks, and a hernia truss that was adopted by the United States Military. Leonard died in 1905.
Additional information: Patricia was born in Harlem and would go on to become a pioneer ophthalmologist, inventor, and academic who is known for inventing a tool and procedure for the removal of cataracts using a laser beam called the Laserphaco Probe.
She was born in 1942 in New York as the daughter of the first African-American motorman to work in NYC subway. Patricia would show an early interest and ability for science at a young age. This passion would drive her onwards and upwards.
She would eventually become the first African-American to complete a residency in ophthalmology and the first female appointed to the faculty of the University of California at Los Angeles.
What their invention or inventions was/were: Ironing Board
Patent Number: 473653
Patent Date: 4/26/1892
Additional information: Sarah Boone was born in 1832 in North Carolina who would go on to develop a special type of ironing board. Her invention was made from a narrow wooden board that had collapsible legs with the entire device having a padded cover.
Prior to this invention, the most common solution was a simple plank of wood placed across a pair of chairs.
24. Bowman, H. A.
What their invention or inventions was/were: Making Flags
Additional information: Otis Boykin was born in Dallas, Texas on August 29, 1920. After his invention of the control unit for pacemakers, he would ironically die from a heart attack in 1982.
Boykin would graduate from Fisk College, Tennessee in 1941 and later took up work at in 1945 P.J. Nilsen Research Laboratories to fund further studies at Illinois Institute of Technology. He dropped out two years later and started his own business in 1947.
26. Bradberry, Henrietta
What their invention or inventions was/were: The Bed Rack
Additional information: Benjamin was born a slave in 1830 and was taught to read and write by his master's children. He would show a talent for invention and later devised the first steam engine for a ship.
Showing a great natural talent for invention, his master referred him to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland to take up a position as an assistant in their Science Department. It was here that he developed his own design for a steam engine.
Being a slave he was not able to patent his invention - he did sell the rights to it, however, and bought his own freedom.
28. Brody & Surgwar
What their invention or inventions was/were: Folding Chair
Additional information: Henry patented his invention for storing and preserving documents and valuables in 1886. Brown’s invention was, later on, improved to evolve into what is known today as a strongbox.
32. Brown, Lincoln F.
What their invention or inventions was/were: Bridle Bit
Additional information: Marie V. B. Brown was born in 1922 into the crime-ridden neighborhood of Queens, NYC. Her experiences in her youth would ultimately lead her to develop an early form CCTV.
Marie and her partner, Albert Brown, who was an electronics technician, applied for a patent for their invention on August 1, 1966. Their patent was filed for their Home Security System Utilizing Television Surveillance, a closed circuit television system, known today as CCTV system.
Their patent was granted on December 2, 1969.
34. Burr, John
What their invention or inventions was/were: Lawn Mower
35. Burridge & Marshman
What their invention or inventions was/were: Typewriter
36. Burwell, W.
What their invention or inventions was/were: Boot Or Shoe
Patent Number: 638143
Patent Date: 11/28/1899
37. Butler, R. A.
What their invention or inventions was/were: Train Alarm
Patent Number: 584540
Patent Date: 6/15/1897
38. Butts, John W.
What their invention or inventions was/were: Luggage Carrier
Additional information: George was born a slave in Missouri between 1860 and 1865 (not exact records exist) during the Civil War. He would later devise over 300 different uses for peanuts, including cooking oil, printer’s ink, and axle grease.
George earned his Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Science from Iowa State in 1894 which he followed up with a masters in 1896. He received the 1923 Spingarn Medal and was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Additional information: Alfred L. Cralle was a Black American inventor and businessman. He is best known for his invention of the ice cream scoop. Cralle was born on the 4th September 1866 in Virginia.
He never acquired a formal education beyond basic schooling as a child. He worked various odd jobs and he would devise the idea for his scoop whilst working at a hotel in Pittsburgh where he noticed how much difficulty people were having serving ice cream with spoons and ladles alone. He was tragically killed during a car accident in 1920.
Additional information: Martha DeLeon was the second African-American woman to receive and patent for her invention. Her invention was an early precursor of the steam tables that we see at food buffets worldwide today.
Additional information: Little is known about Ellen Eglin except she was born in 1849 and worked as a housekeeper and is the inventor of a mechanical clothes wringer.
Afraid that no-one would buy the invention because of her ethnicity she sold her invention for pennies in 1888. She later died in 1890 and never received any recognition for her device in her lifetime.
What their invention or inventions was/were: Guitar
83. Grant, George, F.
What their invention or inventions was/were: Golf Tee
Additional information: George was an African America dentist, academic, and inventor. He is famed for being the first Black American professor at Harvard and developing the "Perfectum Golf Tee”.
He was born in 1846 in Oswego, New York, to former slaves. George was also famed for being the first Black American professor at Harvard University and became the President of the University's Dental Association.
What their invention or inventions was/were: Cabinet Bed
Patent Number: 322177
Patent Date: 7/14/1885
Additional information: Sarah was the second of seven children and was born into slavery in 1855. She was freed at the end of Civil War, and she went on to become the fourth African-American to be awarded a patent.
It was in Chicago where Sarah met her husband, Archibald Goode, a carpenter, and stair builder. Possessing an entrepreneurial spirit, Sarah opened a furniture store.
It was here that she conceived of her revolutionary bed design after hearing complaints from the neighborhood about bed sizes in their crowded homes. Sarah died on April 8, 1905, in Chicago at the age of 50.
Additional information: Lloyd Hall was a Black American inventor, chemist, and scientist. He is best known for his work on food preservation techniques. Hall was born in 1894 in Elgin, Illinois, and earned his degree in B.Sc. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in 1916.
He would later take up employment at Griffith's Laboratories where he would devise his new techniques for food preservation. Hall died in 1971.
What their invention or inventions was/were: TATB Spot Test
Patent Number: 4618452
Patent Date: 18/21/1986
Additional information: Dr. Betty Harris is an American organic analytical chemist, a leading expert in explosives, environmental remediation, and hazardous waste treatment. She was awarded a patent for her TATB spot test, which identifies explosives in a field environment.
She was born in July 1940 in rural Louisiana and was one of 12 children. Harris later earned her Bachelor's in Chemistry in 1961 and her Master's in 1963 followed by her Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1973.
98. Harvey, M.C
What their invention or inventions was/were: Lantern
99. Hawkins, Joseph
What their invention or inventions was/were: Gridiron
Additional information: Walter was born in 1911 and whilst working at AT & T, he devised and patented a new polymer plastic cable sheath for cables. Walter was fascinated by how things worked at a young age and even built his own spring-driven toy boats and working radio in his youth.
After graduating, he began a lifetime's career at Bell Labs. He finally retired in 1976 and began teaching science and engineering.
Additional information: Thomas was born in 1791 as a freeman who successfully developed a means of cleaning clothes with a technique called dry scouring. Thomas apprenticed as a tailor in his youth with part of his services being providing dry-cleaning services to clients.
Later on, he created his own business as a tailor and dry-cleaner and became highly respected by his local community. He used his early profits to buy his wife's and children's freedom.
113. Johnson, Issac R.
What their invention or inventions was/were: Bicycle Frame
Additional information: James Maceo West is a prolific American inventor and professor best-known for the invention of an early microphone called the electroacoustic transducer electret microphone (ETEM).
He holds over 250 other patents as well. He was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia in 1931. James would later graduate from Temple University in 1957 with a degree in Physics. He then began a lifetime career at Bell Labs as full-time acoustical scientist.
139. Marishane, Ludwick
What their invention or inventions was/were: Dry Bath
Additional information: Jan was born in 1852 in Paramaribo in Dutch Guiana. After experimenting with different designs, Jan Matzeliger invented a shoe lasting machine that adjusted the shoe leather upper snugly over the mold.
Jan was born in 1852 as a son of Surinamese and Dutch parents in Paramaribo in Dutch Guiana (now called Suriname). He showed interest in mechanics from a young age and later on in life started work at a shoe factory in 1877 - it was here that he conceived of his invention.
Additional information: Elijah McCoy was born in 1844 in Ontario, Canada. His family was one of the few families who was successfully relocated to Canada by the Underground Railroad organization, and later on, their family became very successful.
His parents worked hard and saved money until they had enough put together to send him to Scotland to learn Mechanical Engineering in an apprenticeship. He returned to the U.S. and lead a highly successful career as an engineer.
Additional information: Benjamin was born into slavery in 1837. Later on in his life, he developed a special propeller design especially for dealing with shallow waters. Whilst a young slave, he attempted to escape but was recaptured.
His master was deeply disturbed by his attempted escape and after some negotiation gave Ben some senior responsibilities at his master's plantation. He was later freed, bought his former master's plantation and become a successful businessman.
Additional information: Garrett Morgan was a Black American inventor and community leader. He famously rescued workers trapped within a water intake tunnel in 1916 and was a prolific inventor.
Repairing sewing machines inspired him to make his first invention, a belt fastener for sewing machines. In 1907, he opened his own sewing machine and shoe repair shop. This would grow and expand into the Morgan’s Cut Rate Ladies Clothing Store in 1909 which had 32 employees.
Additional information: Lydia is best known for her invention of an improved hairbrush design in 1898. She was born in Ohio in 1885 and later worked privately in Manhattan as a family hairdresser.
Whilst working here, she developed her concept for a new design of hairbrush. Her design greatly improved on conventional through its improved efficiency and hygiene.
Additional information: Samuel R. Scottron was a Black American inventor and entrepreneur. He was a prominent member of Brooklyn’s Black Elite community and is best known as the inventor of the Scottron's Improved Mirror.
He worked as a barber with his father in his early years who later worked as a merchant during the civil war. Postwar he opened a series of grocery shops and a barber shop in Springfield.
It was with his barber venture that he conceived of his famed mirror and other inventions. His devices would eventually make him a wealthy man.
Additional information: Valerie Thomas is an accomplished African-American scientist and inventor who patented the illusion transmitter and contributed greatly to NASA research.
She was born in May 1943 in Maryland and quickly showed an aptitude and fascination for technology at a young age. She later graduated from Morgan State University and became one of only two women to major in Physics there.
She later began a lifelong career at NASA in 1964.
Additional information: Madame C. J. Walker was born in 1867 into a family of slaves. She was later freed and would go on to build a very successful hairdressing salon.
Born as Sarah Breedlove, she was orphaned at age 7 and was later freed under President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation that came into force in 1863.
Additional information: Joseph Winters was a Black American abolitionist and inventor. He is best known for his patent for a wagon-mounted fire escape ladder.
He was also an active member in the Underground Railroad movement in the United States. Joseph developed his ladders whilst noting the trouble fireman had unloading and raising their ladders from wagons. Joseph died in 1916 at the age of 100.
245. Wood, J. F.
What their invention or inventions was/were: Potato Digger
Additional information: Granville Woods was a very prolific inventor who came to be known as the Black Edison. He made key contributions to the development of the telephone, streetcar and more.
