Forten, James
1766-1842 · Contribution: Early 1800s
Industrial & Mechanical
Invented an unpatented sail-handling device that improved his sailmaking business
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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.
An alternative history
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Sources
- Book or scholarly workFind
MIT Press Reader (300 Years of African-American Invention and Innovation)
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