Inventors – Pre-Civil War
Henry Blair (1807-1860)
Henry Blair was an African-American inventor who, in 1834, became only the second black man to receive a United States patent for...
Benjamin Bradley (1830-?)
Benjamin Bradley was the first person to develop a working model of a steam engine for a war ship. Born...
Thomas L. Jennings (1791- 1856)
Thomas L. Jennings was the first black man to receive a patent. The patent was awarded on March 3, 1821...
Norbert Rillieux (1806-1894)
Two centuries ago Norbert Rillieux was born in Louisiana, the son of a wealthy French engineer and a black slave...
