Thomas L. Jennings, the First African American to receive a patent

By: Chantaye Mclau ghlin

Thomas L. Jennings was the first African-American person to receive a patent in the United States of America. He was a businessman from New York. He was born in 1791 and he was a free man. His invention was “Dry Scouring,”which came years before Dry Cleaning. Jennings wanted to be able to create a way to clean his clothing without the harsh chemicals destroying the fabric. That is how he discovered the technique that became dry scouring. The Patent Act of 1793 stated that an individual must sign an oath stating that they declare to be a Citizen of the United States of America.

Frederick Douglas noted at the time of Jennings death the significance of him being one of the first African Americans to be deemed as a “Citizen of the United States.” This was a rare distinction that was not given to many African Americans. African Americans were the property of their slave masters and so were their inventions and innovations. There was a large objection to Jennings holding a patent because of this distinction in the law. The loophole that allowed for him to apply for the patent in 1821 was that along many, Thomas L. Jennings was a free man. The law stated that the slave master owned the fruits of his labor to include the inventions of his slaves. Due to Jennings, being a free man, he was able to apply for a patent and get approved.

This decision led to Congress, years later, extending the right to hold a patent to both slaves and freedmen who were African American. Jennings paved the way for so many. In the picture above, you can see how important the utilization of a warehouse space was to his invention. Jennings utilized the profits from his invention to purchase his entire family’s freedom. He also donated a significant amount of his fortune to various abolitionist movements and causes. Thomas L. Jennings became the Founder and Trustee of Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York along with becoming the Assistant Secretary for the First Annual Convention of the People of Color in 1831.

Frederick Douglas noted at the time of Jennings death the significance of him being one of the first African Americans to be deemed as a “Citizen of the United States.” This was a rare distinction that was not given to many African Americans. African Americans were the property of their slave masters and so were their inventions and innovations. There was a large objection to Jennings holding a patent because of this distinction in the law. The loophole that allowed for him to apply for the patent in 1821 was that along many, Thomas L. Jennings was a free man. The law stated that the slave master owned the fruits of his labor to include the inventions of his slaves. Due to Jennings, being a free man, he was able to apply for a patent and get approved.

This decision led to Congress, years later, extending the right to hold a patent to both slaves and freedmen who were African American.Jennings paved the way for so many. In the picture above, you can see how important the utilization of a warehouse space was to his invention. Jennings utilized the profits from his invention to purchase his entire family’s freedom. He also donated a significant amount of his fortune to various abolitionist movements and causes. Thomas L. Jennings became the Founder and Trustee of Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York along with becoming the Assistant Secretary for the First Annual Convention of the People of Color in 1831. In 1855, he raised awareness and challenged discriminatory practices, funded and organized legal defenses for court documents through the Legal Rights Association that he assisted in organizing. This has been your BlackHistory Month fact. Imagine a world with no warehouses to be able to impact the freedom of African Americans.