Blair, Henry

1807-1860 · Contribution: 1834, 1836

Seed planter and cotton planter

Agriculture & Food — collage image
Agriculture & Food

Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.

Impact on the world

Blair was the second African-American to receive a U.S. patent, for mechanical devices that improved planting efficiency for farmers.

Life & background

An inventor who patented a mechanical seed planter and later a cotton planter, both designed to make farm planting more efficient. He is recognized as the second Black inventor to hold a U.S. patent.

Sources

  1. BlackPast.org (Henry Blair); Biography.com; EBSCO Research Starters