Mini Biography of Thomas L Jennings, 1st Black to Receive a Patent
Name: Thomas L Jennings
Birth Date: 1791 – 1856 (59)
Job Functions: Tailor, Inventor, Abolitionist
Known For: First black to receive a patent
Introduction to Thomas L Jennings
A few years ago, I learned about Thomas L Jennings, the first black to receive a US Patent, and profiled him for Black History Month. Featuring someone who is not well-known has its challenges since I had great difficulty finding information on Thomas L Jennings. I found another article on him and decided to try and update this mini biography.
Initially, I was able to extract some information on Thomas L Jennings from a New York Times article on his daughter, Elizabeth Jennings “The Schoolteacher On the Streetcar.”
Biggest Accomplishments – Why Thomas L Jennings’ Contribution Matters
- First black to receive a patent (U.S. patent 3306x).
- Invented a dry-cleaning process in response to his customers’ need.
- Used his good fortune to make life better for those around him.
Lessons Learned from Thomas L Jennings
- Pay attention to what questions your customers are asking, can you offer a product or service to address the question.
- Iteration is important. Keep on improving your products and services. There is always room for improvement.
- Life is more than about you, find ways to help others, one person at a time.
- It's not where you start out in life that matters, it's where you end up.
Thomas L Jennings, a New York abolitionist, was an African American innovator. He was the first black to earn a patent from the U.S. Patent Office on March 3, 1821, after it was established in 1790. He developed a dry cleaning process, a method of dry-scouring clothes. At the time, he was operating a clothing store in New York City. His invention made him a wealthy man.
As an abolitionist, Thoma L Jennings used his income his income to support organizations that worked towards
abolishing slavery, even purchasing the freedom of several family members.
Biography: Thomas L Jennings
In his early 20s, he volunteered for the 1812 War. He dug trenches in Long Island.Thomas L Jennings apprenticed with one of the best-known tailors in New York City. At the time it was difficult to get apprenticeships. He built his customer base, and many would travel great distances to buy his custom-made clothing. Jennings earned enough money to open his own store on Church Street.
His invention made his business even more popular, and his store grew to be one of the largest in New York City.
“Jennings wrote petitions against slavery and racial discrimination and served as assistant secretary of the First Annual Convention of People of Color in 1831 and two subsequent conventions. He helped form the Legal Rights' Association in New York City. At the time of his death, Jennings was serving as the association's president.” Source: Contemporary Black Biography
Jennings used his wealth to ensure his four children got an education. William became a businessman in Boston; Thomas, a dentist in New Orleans; Matilda, one of New York's best dressmakers; and Elizabeth, a schoolteacher. And they all turned out to be successful in their fields. Elizabeth followed in her father's footsteps to become an activist.
Thomas L Jennings’ Steps to Success
- Born a free man.
- Worked in many jobs until he found his calling as a tailor in his early 20s.
- He altered or custom-made clothing for his clients.
- Was so successful that he was able to open his own store on Church Street.
- His customers couldn’t clean their clothes using the methods at the time.
- Opened a dry-cleaning business in New York City.
- Experimented and tested different combinations of solutions and cleaning agents until he found the right combination that cleaned the clothes without damaging them.
- Called the process “dry-scouring,” which is the precursor to dry-cleaning.
- Applied for a patent for his dry-scouring.
- Received patent (U.S. patent 3306x) for his dry cleaning process on March 3, 1821, when he was 30 years old.
- Was a successful and wealthy businessman.
- Used his money to buy his family out of slavery and to fund abolitionist activities.
- In 1831, became the assistant secretary for the First Annual Convention of the People of Color in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- In 1835, Thomas L Jennings was listed as the 2nd Vice President of the Phoenix Society, which was organized in New York City in 1833 because of discrimination against blacks.
- Thomas L Jennings hired the law firm of Culver, Parker, and Arthur to sue the Third Avenue Railway Company. A young attorney, Chester Arthur, who was in his 20s and recently admitted to the bar, represented her. They won the case in front of the Brooklyn Circuit Court in 1855. Chester Arthur later became the 21st President of the United States.
- Some sources say that Jennings died in 1856 while others say 1859.
Something Worth Noting About Elizabeth Jennings (Thomas Jennings' Daughter)
A century before Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man, Thomas L Jennings’ daughter refused to give up her seat. According to the New York Times, on July 16, 1854, Elizabeth Jennings was on her way to the First Colored American Congregational Church on Sixth Street near the Bowery, when she got on a horse-drawn streetcar. The conductor noticed she was black and asked her to get off, which she refused. Later a police officer got on the streetcar and
“thrust Jennings, her bonnet smashed and her dress soiled, to the sidewalk.”
Further Reading
The Schoolteacher On the Streetcar
Elizabeth Jennings Graham, Activist, Teacher (c. 1826–1901)
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Related:
The Schoolteacher on the Streetcar by Katharine Greider
Mini Bio of Rosa Parks, “Mother of Civil Rights Movement”
Sources Cited/Referenced
Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History
“The Schoolteacher On the Streetcar,” The New York Times, November 13, 2005
Development of the Industrial U.S. Reference Library
Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History
Science and Technology, African American Almanac
African American Firsts in Science & Technology
“The Organized Educational Activities of Negro Literary Societies,” The Journal of Negro Education
“Thomas L. Jennings.” Contemporary Black Biography, vol. 125, Gale, 2015. Gale In Context: Biography
