Forten, James
1766-1842 · Contribution: Early 1800s
Industrial & Mechanical
Invented an unpatented sail-handling device that improved his sailmaking business
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1766-1842
- Active since
- Early 1800s
- Category
- Industrial & Mechanical
Impact on the world
Forten turned mechanical ingenuity into one of the great Black fortunes of the early republic, then poured it into the fight to end slavery.
Sources
- MIT Press Reader (300 Years of African-American Invention and Innovation)
1 more sources and references are available to members.
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