AFRICAN AMERICAN INVENTION: DISMISSED, UNRECOGNIZED AND SOMETIMES FORGOTTEN

Some of America’s greatest inventions came from African American invention - but you may not know that. With the subjective portrayal of the history of the US - along with a long-living bias in some people - recognition of African American invention is far from the mainstream.

Sure - you may be aware of some few of this inventor group - but I am sure that you (as so was I) are not aware of some of the monumental inventions offered to America by Black invention.

One of the most famous contributors to African American invention was George Washington Carver. Without him, some college students would starve! And P&J sandwiches would not be available for kids lunches.

George Washington Carver helped save the Southern farmer by introducing the planting of peanuts (legumes) as a rotating crop to restore nutrients that the cash crops of tobacco and cotton sucked from the earth. When the farmers - who were happy with their increased yields - began to complain because they had too many peanuts and didn’t know what to do with them - GWC came up with PEANUT BUTTER - and about 300 other uses for the peanut. The South was saved by a former slave.

Garrett Morgan was another contributor to African American invention. He saved lives by inventing the gas mask, which was a staple in WWI - and the automatic stoplight, which saved lives on the american road.

Then there is Elijah McCoy. though trained as an engineer - because of his color he could only get a job on the railroad as a fireman/oilman. His job was to stoke the engine with coal - and manually lubricate various moving parts on the engine and train so it could continue to move. At the time, the train would have to stop every few miles to be lubricated or the parts would freeze.

McCoy came up with the “lubricating cup” - an automatic lubricator that took the place of manual lubrication. Train companies loved it. So did others that tried to get in on the profits. McCoy had up to 60 imitators - that did not do as good a job as the McCoy lubricating cup. So - train companies started demanding “the Real McCoy.” The phrase continues to exist in American speech today.

Another example of African American invention is Lewis Latimer. Ever heard of him? Well, he was the draftsman that worked with Alexander Graham Bell in drawing up the patent for the telephone - that beat a competitor by hours in filing for a patent. without his dedication and work into the night - the inventor of the telephone may have been someone else.

In addition - Latimer made the light bulb better. While Thomas Edison had worked for years to get the light bulb to work - his bulb would only burn for a matter of hours. Latimer came up and patented a process to make a carbon filament which burned longer and made the product commercially feasible. Latimer became a consultant to many cities - including London - on the installation of electric lights.

Latimer did work for Edison - and Edison encouraged him to write the book Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System. The book was extremely popular - because it explained the process of electricity to a somewhat ignorant public. A grand example of African American invention.

Then there was the African American invention that revolutionized shoe manufacturing. In the late 1800’s, shoes were mainly manufactured by hand. The customer’s feet were duplicated in a stone or wooden form called a “last.” the leather was formed around the last - and then the sole was attached to the upper by skilled craftsmen. Shoe lasters had great power in the shoe industry - and could shut down operations to gain what they wanted - putting whole factories out of work.

Jan Ernst Matzeliger happened to work for one of the companies and did not like being out of work. He developed an automatic lasting machine that turned out 150-700 pairs of shoes a day - compared to 50 from a master laster. This African American invention has been considered “the greatest forward step in the shoe industry” and "the most important invention for New England." Unfortunately, while the lasting machine brought much profit to the industry, Matzeliger did not share in the wealth. He had spent too many hours developing his machine without proper nutrition. A cold led to tuberculosis - and he died at age 37.

Black women are part of African American invention. Dr. Patricia Bath’s passionate dedication to the treatment and prevention of blindness led her to develop the Cataract Laserphaco Probe.

The probe, patented in 1988, is designed to use the power of a laser to quickly and painlessly vaporize cataracts from patients’ eyes, replacing the more common method of using a grinding, drill-like device to remove the afflictions. With another invention, Bath was able to restore sight to people who had been blind for over 30 years. Patricia Bath also holds patents for her African American invention in Japan, Canada, and Europe.

Dr. Bath has been nominated to the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

These are but a few examples of African American invention. For more information and background on the Top Ten African American Inventors - as well as other Black inventors you can find it here:

AFRICAN AMERICAN INVENTION: THE TOP TEN

And here is a list of African American invention with their inventors:

Invention --- Inventor

Biscuit Cutter --- A.P. Ashbourne
Super Soaker --- Lonnie Johnson
Folding Bed --- L.C. Bailey
Bicycle Frame --- Issac R. Johnson
Coin Changer --- James A. Bauer
Space Shuttle Retrieval Arm --- Wm. Harwell
Rotary Engine --- Andrew J. Beard
Printing Press --- W.A. Lavallette
Car Coupler --- Andrew J. Beard
Envelope Seal --- F.W. Leslie
Letter Box --- G.E. Becket
Laser Fuels --- Lester Lee
Stainless Steel Pads --- Alfred Benjamin
Pressure Cooker --- Maurice W. Lee
Torpedo Discharger --- H. Bradberry
Window Cleaner --- A.L. Lewis
Disposable Syringe --- Phil Brooks
Pencil Sharpener --- John L. Love
Home Security System --- Marie Brown
Fire Extinguisher --- Tom J. Marshal
Corn Planter --- Henry Blair
Lock --- W.A. Martin
Cotton Planter --- Henry Blair
Shoe Lasting Machine --- Jan Matzeliger
Ironing Board --- Sarah Boone
Lubricators --- Elijah McCoy
Horse Bridle Bit --- L.F.Brown
Rocket Catapult --- Hugh MacDonald
Horse shoe --- Oscar E. Brown
Elevator --- Alexander Miles
Pacemaker --- Otis Boykin
Gas Mask --- Garrett Morgan
Guided Missile --- Otis Boykin
Traffic Signal --- Garrett Morgan
Lawn Mower --- John A. Burr
Hair Brush --- Lyda Newman
Typewriter --- Burridge & Marshman
Heating Furnace --- Alice H. Paker
Train Alarm --- R.A. Butler
Airship --- J.F.Pickering
Radiation Detector ---Geo. Carruthers
Folding Chair --- Purdgy/Sadgwar
Peanut Butter --- George W. Carver
Hand Stamp --- W.B. Purvis
Paints & Satins --- George W. Carver
Fountain Pen --- W.B. Purvis
Lotion & Soaps --- George W. Carver
Dust Pan --- L. P. Ray
Automatic Fishing Reel --- George Cook
Insect Destroyer Gun --- A.C. Richardson
Ice cream Mold --- A.L. Cralle
Baby Buggy --- W.H. Richardson
Blood Plasma --- Dr. Charles Drew
Sugar Refinement --- N. Rillieux
Horse Riding Saddle --- Wm. D. Davis
Clothes Dryer --- G.T. Sampson
Shoe --- W.A. Detiz
Cellular Phone --- Henry Sampson
Player Piano --- Joseph Dickinson
Pressing Comb --- Walter Sammons
Arm for Recording Player --- Joseph Dickinson
Curtain Rod --- S.R. Scottron
Doorstop --- O. Dorsey
Lawn Sprinkler --- J.W. Smith
Doorknob --- O. Dorsey
Automatic Gearshift --- R.B. Spikes
Photo Print Wash --- Clatonia J. Dorticus
Urinalysis Machine --- Dewey Sanderson
Photo Embossing Machine --- Clatonia J. Dorticus
Hydraulic Shock Absorber --- Ralph Sanderson
Postal Letter Box --- P.B. Dowing
Refrigerator --- J. Standard
Toilet --- T. Elkins
Mop --- T.W. Stewart
Furniture Caster --- David A. Fisher
Stair-climbing Wheelchair --- Rufus J. Weaver
Guitar --- Robert Flemming ,Jr
Helicopter --- Paul E. Williams
Golf Tee --- George F. Grant
Fire Escape Ladder --- J.B. Winters
Motor --- J. Gregory
Telephone Transmitter --- Granville T. Woods
Lantern ---- Micheal Harney
Electric Cutoff Switch --- Granville T. Woods
Thermo Hair Curlers --- Soloman Harper
Relay Instrument --- Granville T. Woods
Gas Burner --- B.F. Jackson
Telephone System --- Granville T. Woods
Kitchen Table --- H.A. Jackson
Galvanic Battery --- Granville T. Woods
Video Commander --- Joseph N. Jackson
Electric Raillway System --- Granville T. Woods
Remote Controllers --- Joseph N. Jackson
Roller Coaster --- Granville T. Woods
Sani-Phone --- Jerry Johnson
Auto Air Brake --- Granville T. Woods

An impressive list. Enough said. Of course, you can Google any of these names and/or inventions for more information on African American invention.


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With the subjective portrayal of the history of the US - along with a long-living bias in some people - recognition of African American invention is far from the mainstream. Sure - you may be aware of some few of this inventor group - but I am sure that you (as so was I) are not aware of some of the monumental inventions offered to America by Black invention. One of the most famous contributors to African American invention was George Washington Carver. Without him, some college students would starve! And P&J sandwiches would not be available for kids lunches. George Washington Carver helped save the Southern farmer by introducing the planting of peanuts (legumes) as a rotating crop to restore nutrients that the cash crops of tobacco and cotton sucked from the earth. When the farmers - who were happy with their increased yields - began to complain because they had too many peanuts and didn’t know what to do with them - GWC came up with PEANUT BUTTER - and about 300 other uses for the peanut. The South was saved by a former slave. Garrett Morgan was another contributor to African American invention. He saved lives by inventing the gas mask, which was a staple in WWI - and the automatic stoplight, which saved lives on the american road. Then there is Elijah McCoy. though trained as an engineer - because of his color he could only get a job on the railroad as a fireman/oilman. His job was to stoke the engine with coal - and manually lubricate various moving parts on the engine and train so it could continue to move. At the time, the train would have to stop every few miles to be lubricated or the parts would freeze. McCoy came up with the “lubricating cup” - an automatic lubricator that took the place of manual lubrication. Train companies loved it. So did others that tried to get in on the profits. McCoy had up to 60 imitators - that did not do as good a job as the McCoy lubricating cup. So - train companies started demanding “the Real McCoy.” The phrase continues to exist in American speech today. Another example of African American invention is Lewis Latimer. Ever heard of him? Well, he was the draftsman that worked with Alexander Graham Bell in drawing up the patent for the telephone - that beat a competitor by hours in filing for a patent. without his dedication and work into the night - the inventor of the telephone may have been someone else. In addition - Latimer made the light bulb better. While Thomas Edison had worked for years to get the light bulb to work - his bulb would only burn for a matter of hours. Latimer came up and patented a process to make a carbon filament which burned longer and made the product commercially feasible. Latimer became a consultant to many cities - including London - on the installation of electric lights. Latimer did work for Edison - and Edison encouraged him to write the book Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System. The book was extremely popular - because it explained the process of electricity to a somewhat ignorant public. A grand example of African American invention. Then there was the African American invention that revolutionized shoe manufacturing. In the late 1800’s, shoes were mainly manufactured by hand. The customer’s feet were duplicated in a stone or wooden form called a “last.” the leather was formed around the last - and then the sole was attached to the upper by skilled craftsmen. Shoe lasters had great power in the shoe industry - and could shut down operations to gain what they wanted - putting whole factories out of work. Jan Ernst Matzeliger happened to work for one of the companies and did not like being out of work. He developed an automatic lasting machine that turned out 150-700 pairs of shoes a day - compared to 50 from a master laster. This African American invention has been considered “the greatest forward step in the shoe industry” and "the most important invention for New England." Unfortunately, while the lasting machine brought much profit to the industry, Matzeliger did not share in the wealth. He had spent too many hours developing his machine without proper nutrition. A cold led to tuberculosis - and he died at age 37. Black women are part of African American invention. Dr. Patricia Bath’s passionate dedication to the treatment and prevention of blindness led her to develop the Cataract Laserphaco Probe. The probe, patented in 1988, is designed to use the power of a laser to quickly and painlessly vaporize cataracts from patients’ eyes, replacing the more common method of using a grinding, drill-like device to remove the afflictions. With another invention, Bath was able to restore sight to people who had been blind for over 30 years. Patricia Bath also holds patents for her African American invention in Japan, Canada, and Europe. Dr. Bath has been nominated to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. These are but a few examples of African American invention. For more information and background on the Top Ten African American Inventors - as well as other Black inventors you can find it here: AFRICAN AMERICAN INVENTION: THE TOP TEN And here is a list of African American invention with their inventors: Invention --- Inventor Biscuit Cutter --- A.P. Ashbourne Super Soaker --- Lonnie Johnson Folding Bed --- L.C. Bailey Bicycle Frame --- Issac R. Johnson Coin Changer --- James A. Bauer Space Shuttle Retrieval Arm --- Wm. Harwell Rotary Engine --- Andrew J. Beard Printing Press --- W.A. Lavallette Car Coupler --- Andrew J. Beard Envelope Seal --- F.W. Leslie Letter Box --- G.E. Becket Laser Fuels --- Lester Lee Stainless Steel Pads --- Alfred Benjamin Pressure Cooker --- Maurice W. Lee Torpedo Discharger --- H. Bradberry Window Cleaner --- A.L. Lewis Disposable Syringe --- Phil Brooks Pencil Sharpener --- John L. Love Home Security System --- Marie Brown Fire Extinguisher --- Tom J. Marshal Corn Planter --- Henry Blair Lock --- W.A. Martin Cotton Planter --- Henry Blair Shoe Lasting Machine --- Jan Matzeliger Ironing Board --- Sarah Boone Lubricators --- Elijah McCoy Horse Bridle Bit --- L.F.Brown Rocket Catapult --- Hugh MacDonald Horse shoe --- Oscar E. Brown Elevator --- Alexander Miles Pacemaker --- Otis Boykin Gas Mask --- Garrett Morgan Guided Missile --- Otis Boykin Traffic Signal --- Garrett Morgan Lawn Mower --- John A. Burr Hair Brush --- Lyda Newman Typewriter --- Burridge & Marshman Heating Furnace --- Alice H. Paker Train Alarm --- R.A. Butler Airship --- J.F.Pickering Radiation Detector ---Geo. Carruthers Folding Chair --- Purdgy/Sadgwar Peanut Butter --- George W. Carver Hand Stamp --- W.B. Purvis Paints & Satins --- George W. Carver Fountain Pen --- W.B. Purvis Lotion & Soaps --- George W. Carver Dust Pan --- L. P. Ray Automatic Fishing Reel --- George Cook Insect Destroyer Gun --- A.C. Richardson Ice cream Mold --- A.L. Cralle Baby Buggy --- W.H. Richardson Blood Plasma --- Dr. Charles Drew Sugar Refinement --- N. Rillieux Horse Riding Saddle --- Wm. D. Davis Clothes Dryer --- G.T. Sampson Shoe --- W.A. Detiz Cellular Phone --- Henry Sampson Player Piano --- Joseph Dickinson Pressing Comb --- Walter Sammons Arm for Recording Player --- Joseph Dickinson Curtain Rod --- S.R. Scottron Doorstop --- O. Dorsey Lawn Sprinkler --- J.W. Smith Doorknob --- O. Dorsey Automatic Gearshift --- R.B. Spikes Photo Print Wash --- Clatonia J. Dorticus Urinalysis Machine --- Dewey Sanderson Photo Embossing Machine --- Clatonia J. Dorticus Hydraulic Shock Absorber --- Ralph Sanderson Postal Letter Box --- P.B. Dowing Refrigerator --- J. Standard Toilet --- T. Elkins Mop --- T.W. Stewart Furniture Caster --- David A. Fisher Stair-climbing Wheelchair --- Rufus J. Weaver Guitar --- Robert Flemming ,Jr Helicopter --- Paul E. Williams Golf Tee --- George F. Grant Fire Escape Ladder --- J.B. Winters Motor --- J. Gregory Telephone Transmitter --- Granville T. Woods Lantern ---- Micheal Harney Electric Cutoff Switch --- Granville T. Woods Thermo Hair Curlers --- Soloman Harper Relay Instrument --- Granville T. Woods Gas Burner --- B.F. Jackson Telephone System --- Granville T. Woods Kitchen Table --- H.A. Jackson Galvanic Battery --- Granville T. Woods Video Commander --- Joseph N. Jackson Electric Raillway System --- Granville T. Woods Remote Controllers --- Joseph N. Jackson Roller Coaster --- Granville T. Woods Sani-Phone --- Jerry Johnson Auto Air Brake --- Granville T. Woods An impressive list. Enough said. Of course, you can Google any of these names and/or inventions for more information on African American invention.