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Black American Inventors

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If someone says to another person, "Name one black American inventor," that person MIGHT say George Washington Carver, if they can name one at all.  I think that's sad, so in my own humble way, I present to you a quick list of black American inventors and their notable achievements.


  • Bell, Landrow
    • Invented: Locomotive Smoke Stack (Improvement).  Patented May 23, 1873.
    • Hometown: Unknown.
  • Boone, Sarah
    • Invented: Ironing Board.  Patented April 26, 1892.
    • Hometown: Unknown.
  • Brooks, Charles B.
    • Invented: Street Sweeper.  Patented March 17, 1896.
    • Hometown: Unknown.
  • Brown, Henry
    • Invented: Desk Top File.  Patented November 2, 1886.
    • Hometown: Washington, D.C.
  • Brown, Lincoln F.
    • Invented: Bridle Bit.  Patented October 25, 1892.
    • Hometown: Xenia, Ohio
  • Brown, Oscar E.
    • Invented: Horseshoe (Improvement).  Patented August 23, 1892.
    • Hometown: Buffalo, New York.
  • Burr, John A.
    • Invented: Lawn Mower.  Patented May 9, 1899.
    • Hometown: Unknown.
  • Burridge, Lee S.
    • Invented: Typewriter (Improvement) [With Newman R. Marshman].  Patented April 7, 1885.
    • Hometown: New York, New York.
  • Carver, George Washington
    • Invented: Peanut Butter.
  • Cherry, Matthew A.
    • Invented: Velocipede (Predecessor to the Bicycle).  Patented May 8, 1888.
    • Hometown: Unknown.
  • Cralle, Alfred L.
    • Invented: Ice Cream Scoop.  Patented February 2, 1897.
    • Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
  • Davis, William D.
    • Invented: Riding Saddle (Improvement).  Patented October 6, 1896.
    • Hometown: Fort Assinniboine, Montana.
  • Fisher, David A. Jr.
    • Invented: Furniture Casters.  Patented March 14, 1876.
    • Hometown: Unknown.
  • Flemmings, Robert F. Jr.
    • Invented: Enphonica (Guitar).  Patented March 30, 1886.
    • Hometown: Melrose, Massachusetts.
  • Grant, George F.
    • Invented: Golf Tee.  Patented December 12, 1899.
    • Hometown: Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • Harney, Michael
    • Invented: Lantern (Improvement).  Patented August 19, 1884.
    • Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri.
  • Hunter, John W.
    • Invented: Portable Weighing Scale.  Patented November 3, 1896.
    • Hometown: Tabor, Iowa.
  • Johnson, Willis
    • Invented: Egg Beater.  Patented February 5, 1884.
    • Hometown: Unknown.
  • Jones, Frederick McKinley
    • Invented: Air Conditioning Unit.  Patented July 12, 1949.
    • Invented: Portable X-Ray Machine.
    • Invented: Ticket Dispenser For Movie Theaters.
    • Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio.
  • Love, John Lee
    • Invented: Desk Top Pencil Sharpener.  Patented November 23, 1897.
    • Hometown: Fall River, Massachusetts.
  • Lowden, Frederick J.
    • Invented: Key Ring.  Patented January 9, 1894.
    • Hometown: Unknown.
  • Marshman, Newman R.
    • Invented: Typewriter (Improvement) [With Lee S. Burridge].  Patented April 7, 1885.
    • Hometown: New York, New York.
  • Martin, Washington A.
    • Invented: Lock.  Patented July 23, 1889.
    • Hometown: Unknown.
  • Miles, Alexander
    • Invented: Elevator Safety Device.  Patented October 11, 1887.
    • Hometown: Duluth, Minnesota.
  • Morgan, Garret A.
    • Invented: Gas Mask.  Patented October 13, 1914.
    • Invented: Traffic Signal.  Patented November 20, 1923.
    • Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio.
  • Newman, Lyda D.
    • Invented: Hair Brush.  Patented November 15, 1898.
    • Hometown: New York, New York.
  • Purvis, William B.
    • Invented: Fountain Pen.  Patented January 7, 1890.
    • Invented: Hand Stamp (Improvement).  Patented February 27, 1883.
    • Invented: Paper Bag Making Machine.
    • Hometown: Unknown.
  • Ray, Lloyd P.
    • Invented: Dust Pan.  Patented August 3, 1897.
    • Hometown: Seattle, Washington.
  • Richardson, William H.
    • Invented: Baby Carriage (Improvement).  Patented June 18, 1889.
    • Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland.
  • Robinson, John
    • Invented: Lunch Pail.  Patented February 1, 1887.
    • Hometown: Coal Valley, West Virginia.
  • Sammons, Walter H.
    • Invented: Straightening Comb.  Patented December 21, 1920.
    • Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • Smith, Joseph H.
    • Invented: Lawn Sprinkler (Improvement).  Patented May 4, 1897.
    • Hometown: Washington, D.C.
  • Stanard, John
    • Invented: Refrigerator.  Patented July 14, 1891.
    • Hometown: Unknown.
  • Stewart, Thomas W.
    • Invented: Mop.  Patented June 13, 1893.
    • Hometown: Detroit, Michigan.
  • White, John T.
    • Invented: Lemon Squeezer.  Patented December 8, 1896.
    • Hometown: New York, New York.