Thomas L. Jennings

Thomas L. Jennings

1791-1856

So fresh, so clean... thank Thomas Jennings.

Thomas L. Jennings was the first black man to receive a patent. Groundbreaking during the time in which slaves and their intellectual property were rights of their master.

Thomas being a free man and a Maverick was awarded a patent on on March 3, 1821 (US Patent 3306x) for his discovery of a process called dry-scouring which was the pre-cursor of today’s modern dry-cleaning.

Jennings was born free in New York City, New York in 1791, and used this to his advantage to become the first black man to receive this groundbreaking honor.

Due to owning his invention he was able to profit form it.

Jennings uses his profits to free his family from slavery and fund other abolitionist causes.

That’s MAVERICK!

For more information on this Black Maverick Innovator follow the link ---> https://blackpast.org/aah/jennings-thomas-l-1791-1856