Posted by Today we will talk about the second Black man ON RECORD to receive a US patent. Henry Blair received a patent for his invention of the corn seed planter in 1834. Blair’s invention allowed farmers to plant more corn faster and with less work. He also patented a design for a cotton planter later on.
This is really a significant event because up until 1858 freed and enslaved men were allowed to obtain patents. A slave owner challenged this law and said that he owned everything his slaves did, even their intellectual property. After 1858 slaves would not be able to obtain a patent until after the civil war. *side note* One day we are going to talk about how Eli Whitney stole the idea of the cotton gin from a slave named Sam. One day, but not today.
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