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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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George Washington Carver | Scientist, Inventor, and Teacher Video | PBS LearningMedia

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George Washington Carver was a world-renowned American botanist who devoted his life's work to helping farmers successfully grow their crops. A lover of nature with a keen intellect and desire to help people better their lives, Carver used his knowledge to make American farms flourish, which helped the nation as a whole.

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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Know Ohio | Garrett Morgan | PBS LearningMedia

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Ohio's African American inventor Garrett Morgan was a mechanical genius who not only engineered innovative and life-saving devices that we still used today -- but he did it all while fighting racism and prejudice.

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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A Clever Endeavor? Endeavour Elementary Thinks So! | Your Space Place | PBS LearningMedia

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Have you ever met an astronaut? Students at Endeavour Elementary School have! Check out how the school remembers the Endeavour space shuttle.

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Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

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Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

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Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

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Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

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Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

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Madam C. J. Walker (December 23, 1867 - May 25, 1919) was an inventor, businesswoman and self-made millionaire. Walker was an African-American who developed many beauty and hair care products that were extremely popular.
Madam Walker was born in Delta, Louisiana, on the Burney family plantation; her name was originally Sarah Breedlove. Walker's parents were ex-slaves who had both died by the time Sarah was seven. Sarah was married at age fourteen to Moses McWilliams. Widowed at age 20, she moved to St. Louis, Missouri, and supported her daughter, Lelia, by washing laundry.

In 1905, she moved to Denver, Colorado, and married Charles Joseph (C.J.) Walker, a newspaper sales agent; they were divorced in 1912, but she kept his name. Madam Walker started her cosmetics business in 1906. Her first product was a scalp treatment that used petrolatum and sulphur to heal scalp disease and to grow hair. She also softened the hair with an ointment she called Glossine,and straightened the hair with a metal comb. She did not, however, invent the hot comb.

She added Madam to her name and began selling her new "Walker System" door-to-door. Walker soon added other cosmetic products to her line. The products were very successful and she soon had many saleswomen, called "Walker Agents," who sold her products door to door and through beauty salons. In 1917, her agents came together in one of the nation's first convention of businesswomen. She settled briefly in Pittsburgh in 1908, then established her permanent headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1910.

Madam Walker eventually became a millionaire from her business, which was at its peak from 1911 through 1922; she employed thousands of people. Walker moved to New York in 1916 and became active in influencing the arts and philanthropy. She contributed to many organizations ad educational institutions, including the NAACP, the Tuskegee Institute, Bethune-Cookman College, the YMCA and the YMCA. She also helped spur the Harlem Renaissance through her support of black artists and musicians. The Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company is no longer in business.

Note: For more information on Madam Walker, please read, On Her Own Ground: the Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker by A'Lelia Bundles (Madam Walker's great-great-granddaughter).

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Madam C. J. Walker - EnchantedLearning.com

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Madam C. J. Walker (December 23, 1867 - May 25, 1919) was an inventor, businesswoman and self-made millionaire. Walker was an African-American who developed many beauty and hair care products that were extremely popular. Madam Walker was born in Delta, Louisiana, on the Burney family plantation; her name was originally Sarah Breedlove.

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Garrett Augustus Morgan: American Inventor

Garrett Augustus Morgan (March 4, 1877 - August 27, 1963), was an African-American inventor and businessman. He was the first person to patent a traffic signal. He also developed the gas mask (and many other inventions).
Morgan was born in Paris, Kentucky, and was the son of former slaves (and the 7th of their 11 children). His formal education ended during elementary school.

As a a teenager (in 1895), Morgan moved north to Cincinnati, Ohio, looking for opportunity. His incredible ability to repair machinery led to many job offers from factories. In 1907, he started his own sewing equipment and repair shop. His business expanded in 1909; he employed 32 people, who used equipment that Morgan made (and invented) himself.

In 1920, Morgan went into the newspaper business, starting the "Cleveland Call." He was very successful, and eventually bought a car. While he was driving along the streets of Cleveland, he realized how unsafe intersections were, and was determined to make driving safer.

Morgan patented a traffic signal on November 20, 1923 (U.S. patent No. 1,475,024, issued in 1923) - this was the first traffic signal patented, but not the first invented. His traffic signal was a T-shaped pole with arms (but with no lights) that has three signs, one or more of which popped out at a time: a red "stop," a green "go," and another red "stop in all directions." This last signal let pedestrians cross the street. It was controlled by an electric clock mechanism. This device became very popular, and was used all around the USA. Morgan sold his device to the General Electric Corporation for $40,000 (a huge sum at that time). His device was used until the three-light traffic light was developed.

Morgan developed many other inventions, including a safety hood and smoke protector for firefighters (patent No. 1,113,675, in 1912), a gas mask (patent No. 1,090,936, in 1914). He also developed a zig-zag sewing machine attachment, a hair straightener, hair dying lotions, de-curling hair combs (patent No. 2,763,281, in 1956), and other inventions.

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Garrett Augustus Morgan: American Inventor - EnchantedLearning.com

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Garrett Augustus Morgan: American Inventor. Garrett Augustus Morgan (March 4, 1877 - August 27, 1963), was an African-American inventor and businessman. He was the first person to patent a traffic signal. He also developed the gas mask (and many other inventions).

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George Washington Carver (1865?-1943) was an American scientist, educator, humanitarian, and former slave. Carver developed hundreds of products from peanuts, sweet potatoes, pecans, and soybeans; his discoveries greatly improved the agricultural output and the health of Southern farmers. Before this, the only main crop in the South was cotton. The products that Carver invented included a rubber substitute, adhesives, foodstuffs, dyes, pigments, and many other products.

George was born in Missouri and was a sickly child. He was orphaned when he was young, and was brought up by Moses and Susan Carver on their farm. He began school at age 12 and later attended Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, where he was the first black student. He transferred to Iowa Agricultural College to study science, earning a Bachelor of Science degree (in 1894) and a Master of Science degree in bacterial botany and agriculture (in 1896). He then became the first black faculty member at that college.
Booker T. Washington convinced Carver to teach at the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute for Negroes (now called Tuskegee University) in Alabama, USA, where Carver headed the agricultural department for nearly 50 years. Carver donated his life savings to a fund designed to encourage agricultural research.

For a cloze (fill-in-the-blank) activity on Carver, click here.

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george washington carver: american inventor us usa america american peanut peanuts yams peanut butter  african-american  african american k-12

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George Washington Carver: American Inventor - EnchantedLearning.com

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Advertisement. EnchantedLearning.com is a user-supported site. As a bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages. Click here to learn more. (Already a member? Click here.) George Washington Carver (1865?-1943) was an American scientist, educator, humanitarian, and former slave.

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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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Biography

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Mr. Nussbaum - George Washington Carver Biography

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George Washington Carver was born sometime around June 12, 1864, near Diamond, Missouri. Born into slavery, he, his sister, and mother were kidnapped by slave raiders when he was an infant.

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George Washington Carver Scientists & Inventors George Washington Carver George Washington Carver Born: About 1864 (exact date is unknown) Died: January 5, 1943 George Washington Carver was born a slave in Diamond Grove, Missouri, around 1864. He is

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Search results for Carver George Washington, Available Online

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George Washington Carver Scientists & Inventors George Washington Carver George Washington Carver Born: About 1864 (exact date is unknown) Died: January 5, 1943 George Washington Carver was born a slave in Diamond Grove, Missouri, around 1864. He is

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Black Inventors & Scientists

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Scientists, engineers, and inventors find the solutions to the world's problems. Learn about the work that these Black scientists and inventors have accomplished that make our lives better.

George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who gained acclaim for his discovery of alternative farming methods. Carver is best known for his discovery of uses for the peanut. Among the products Carver developed from peanuts were soap, face powder, mayonnaise, shampoo, metal polish, and adhesives-but he did not invent peanut butter.

Known as a "human computer," Dorothy Johnson Vaughan was part of a team that did mathematical calculations to help launch satellites-and later humans-into space. The group used math to help engineers figure out how wind and gravity affects aircrafts.

When she was first hired to work on the space program, Vaughan's department was segregated, or separated, by race. She and the other African-American women in her unit used separate dining areas and bathrooms. Six years after she was hired, Vaughan became the manager of her division and its first Black supervisor.

A decade later, the agency desegregated and she joined the Analysis and Computation division, where she learned computer programming and worked on the program that launched John Glenn and other astronauts into space for the first time. The accomplishments of Vaughan and other female African-American mathematicians was the focus of the book and movie Hidden Figures.

Mark E. Dean is one of the top engineering minds at the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation. He made his first mark in the industry in the early 1980s, when he and a colleague developed a system that allowed computers to communicate with printers and other devices. Every time you print something, you can thank Dean.

In all, Dean holds 20 patents, and was honored as one of the "50 Most Important African Americans in Technology" by the California African-American Museum in 2000. Dean wants to help increase awareness of the contributions of Black engineers to both the engineering industry and the African-American community.

Before her 30th birthday, Mae C. Jemison had received two undergraduate degrees and a medical degree, served two years as a Peace Corps medical officer in West Africa, and was selected to join the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's astronaut training program. Her eight-day space flight aboard the space shuttle Endeavour in 1992 established Jemison as the United States' first female African-American space traveler.

Percy L. Julian is known as the "soybean chemist," for his extraordinary success in developing innovative drugs and industrial chemicals from natural soya products. The firefighting solution he devised, known as "bean soup," helped save the lives of thousands of sailors and naval airmen during World War II. His discoveries earned him more than 130 chemical patents and many professional awards.

His spirit lives on in dozens of lifesaving discoveries, as well as in the halls of Percy L. Julian Junior High School in Oak Park, Illinois. Julian was quoted as saying, "I have had one goal in my life, that of playing some role in making life a little easier for the persons who come after me."

Sarah Breedlove Walker was an inventor and businesswoman, and became one of the largest employers of African-American women of her time.

Often know as Madame C.J. Walker, she manufactured beauty products for other African-American women using formulas she developed after working for a pharmacist who taught her chemistry. Her popular hair-softening cream and shampoo helped heal dry skin and other itchy annoyances that were common in the early 1900s because indoor plumbing wasn't widely available.

Walker's company hired and trained thousands of Black women to sell her hair-care products in shops, by mail, and door-to-door. This helped many become more independent during a time when job opportunities for women were limited.

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Black Scientists and Inventors | Black History Month

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Scientists, engineers, and inventors find the solutions to the world's problems. Learn about the work that these Black scientists and inventors have accomplished that make our lives better. George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who gained acclaim for his discovery of alternative farming methods.

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George Washington Carver : the story of a great American

Carver, a life in poems

George Washington Carver, Negro scientist

The story of George Washington Carver

A picture book of George Washington Carver

A pocketful of goobers : a story about George Washington Carver

A weed is a flower : the life of George Washington Carver

Seven Black American scientists

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Black Inventors & Scientists

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Scientists, engineers, and inventors find the solutions to the world's problems. Learn about the work that these Black scientists and inventors have accomplished that make our lives better.

George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who gained acclaim for his discovery of alternative farming methods. Carver is best known for his discovery of uses for the peanut. Among the products Carver developed from peanuts were soap, face powder, mayonnaise, shampoo, metal polish, and adhesives-but he did not invent peanut butter.

Known as a "human computer," Dorothy Johnson Vaughan was part of a team that did mathematical calculations to help launch satellites-and later humans-into space. The group used math to help engineers figure out how wind and gravity affects aircrafts.

When she was first hired to work on the space program, Vaughan's department was segregated, or separated, by race. She and the other African-American women in her unit used separate dining areas and bathrooms. Six years after she was hired, Vaughan became the manager of her division and its first Black supervisor.

A decade later, the agency desegregated and she joined the Analysis and Computation division, where she learned computer programming and worked on the program that launched John Glenn and other astronauts into space for the first time. The accomplishments of Vaughan and other female African-American mathematicians was the focus of the book and movie Hidden Figures.

Mark E. Dean is one of the top engineering minds at the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation. He made his first mark in the industry in the early 1980s, when he and a colleague developed a system that allowed computers to communicate with printers and other devices. Every time you print something, you can thank Dean.

In all, Dean holds 20 patents, and was honored as one of the "50 Most Important African Americans in Technology" by the California African-American Museum in 2000. Dean wants to help increase awareness of the contributions of Black engineers to both the engineering industry and the African-American community.

Before her 30th birthday, Mae C. Jemison had received two undergraduate degrees and a medical degree, served two years as a Peace Corps medical officer in West Africa, and was selected to join the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's astronaut training program. Her eight-day space flight aboard the space shuttle Endeavour in 1992 established Jemison as the United States' first female African-American space traveler.

Percy L. Julian is known as the "soybean chemist," for his extraordinary success in developing innovative drugs and industrial chemicals from natural soya products. The firefighting solution he devised, known as "bean soup," helped save the lives of thousands of sailors and naval airmen during World War II. His discoveries earned him more than 130 chemical patents and many professional awards.

His spirit lives on in dozens of lifesaving discoveries, as well as in the halls of Percy L. Julian Junior High School in Oak Park, Illinois. Julian was quoted as saying, "I have had one goal in my life, that of playing some role in making life a little easier for the persons who come after me."

Sarah Breedlove Walker was an inventor and businesswoman, and became one of the largest employers of African-American women of her time.

Often know as Madame C.J. Walker, she manufactured beauty products for other African-American women using formulas she developed after working for a pharmacist who taught her chemistry. Her popular hair-softening cream and shampoo helped heal dry skin and other itchy annoyances that were common in the early 1900s because indoor plumbing wasn't widely available.

Walker's company hired and trained thousands of Black women to sell her hair-care products in shops, by mail, and door-to-door. This helped many become more independent during a time when job opportunities for women were limited.

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Black Scientists and Inventors | Black History Month

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Scientists, engineers, and inventors find the solutions to the world's problems. Learn about the work that these Black scientists and inventors have accomplished that make our lives better. George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who gained acclaim for his discovery of alternative farming methods.

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Mae Jemison

Mae Jemison : a space biography

The 100 year starship

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African-American Inventors | Georgia Stories | PBS LearningMedia

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Chris Mitchell teaches Georgia students about African American inventors using original patents, documents, and photographs. Among African American inventors she recognizes are Garrett Morgan from Cleveland, Ohio who designed the traffic signal we see every day. Lewis Latimer proposed the use of the carbon filament for light bulbs that allowed them to burn longer.

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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Norbert Rillieux was an American inventor in the 1800s. He invented a machine that changed the way in which sugar was made from sugarcane. The machine produced a higher quality sugar and made the process less dangerous.

Norbert Rillieux was born on March 17, 1806, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was the son of a white plantation owner and a slave. His father declared him free at birth. Norbert had a privileged childhood. He attended some of the best schools in New Orleans. Later, his father sent him to study at an important school in Paris, France.

While in Paris, Rillieux wrote many papers on steam engines. These papers became the basis of his most famous invention, the multiple-effect pan evaporator.

Rillieux returned to Louisiana to work in the sugar industry. At the time, making sugar was a slow, expensive, and dangerous process. Sugarcane was boiled in large, open kettles to create a syrup. Teams of slaves ladled the hot liquid from kettle to kettle until sugar crystals began to form. Rillieux wanted to make this process safer and more efficient. He came up with the idea of the multiple-effect pan evaporator.

In Rillieux's evaporator, sugarcane juice was heated in a vacuum pan. The steam produced by the heated juice was then used to heat cane juice in a connected pan. This process saved fuel and produced better sugar. It also used less manpower. Similar evaporators are still used to make sugar and other products, including soap and glue.

Rillieux had more ideas, including draining the water in the swampland surrounding New Orleans. He thought this would reduce the number of mosquitoes, which had been spreading disease. However, the state government ignored him. Rillieux returned to Paris. He died in France on October 8, 1894.

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Norbert Rillieux was an American inventor in the 1800s. He invented a machine that changed the way in which sugar was made from sugarcane. The machine produced a higher quality sugar and made the process less dangerous. Norbert Rillieux was born on March 17, 1806, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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Norbert Rillieux: American Inventor

Norbert Rillieux (March 17, 1806-October 8, 1894) was an African-American inventor and engineer who invented a device that revolutionized sugar processing. Rillieux's multiple effect vacuum sugar evaporator (patented in 1864) made the processing of sugar more efficient, faster, and much safer. The resulting sugar was also superior. His apparatus was eventually adopted by sugar processing plants all around the world.
Rillieux was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. His mother had been a slave and his father was a wealthy white sugar plantation owner. Norbert's brilliance was noticed early in his life. He was educated in Paris, France, and later taught engineering in Paris. Rillieux published many steam engineering papers.

While in Paris, Rillieux learned that the boiling point of liquids is reduced as the pressure is reduced (like in a vacuum). Rillieux applied this to the processing of sugar, heating the cane sugar in a vacuum, and re-using the steam in the processing procedure. This resulted in a highly efficient mechanical process that replaced the old, laborious, dangerous, and costly method of processing sugar by hand that was called the "Jamaica train."

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Norbert Rillieux: American Inventor - EnchantedLearning.com

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Advertisement. EnchantedLearning.com is a user-supported site. As a bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages. Click here to learn more. (Already a member? Click here.) Norbert Rillieux: American Inventor Norbert Rillieux (March 17, 1806-October 8, 1894) was an African-American inventor and engineer who invented a device that revolutionized sugar processing.

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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Elijah McCoy was an inventor who helped improve engines used in railroads and ships. According to some stories, his work was so good that customers asked for the "real McCoy." Today if something is called the real McCoy it means it is the original, and best, version of that thing.

Elijah McCoy was born in about 1843 in Colchester, Ontario. His parents had moved there from the U.S. state of Kentucky to escape slavery. McCoy became interested in how machines work at a young age. He studied them in school. As a young man he moved to the U.S. state of Michigan. There he went to work for the Michigan Central Railroad.

One of McCoy's first jobs involved lubricating, or oiling, the moving parts of the railroad cars. At the time this had to be done by hand. The train had to be stopped and then someone would have to walk around and add oil to all the different parts to keep them moving well. McCoy saw how this could be done more easily. In 1872 he invented a device that would automatically add oil as it was needed and as the train kept moving. The device was extremely successful. He soon came up with several other inventions.

In time McCoy was able to stop working for the railroad and concentrate on creating new inventions. Most of those also had to do with lubricating machines. He received more than 50 patents for his work. A patent is an official document that gives an inventor control over who may use their invention. McCoy died in Michigan in 1929.

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Elijah McCoy was an inventor who helped improve engines used in railroads and ships. According to some stories, his work was so good that customers asked for the "real McCoy." Today if something is called the real McCoy it means it is the original, and best, version of that thing.

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Elijah McCoy (1843 or 1844-1929) was a mechanical engineer and inventor. McCoy's high-quality industrial inventions (especially his steam engine lubricator) were the basis for the expression "the real McCoy," meaning the real, authentic, or high-quality thing.
McCoy was born in Colchester, Ontario, Canada, to former slaves (George and Emillia McCoy), who had fled the USA. McCoy was educated as a mechanical engineer in Edinburgh, Scotland; he then moved to Detroit, Michigan, USA. Despite his education (and due to racism - he was of African descent), he could only get a job as a fireman and oilman on a steam-engine train, shoveling coal into a train's engine and periodically lubricating the engine.

McCoy's first invention (1872) was a revolutionary way of lubricating steam engines without having to shut them down - this automatic lubricator saved an enormous amount of time and effort in transportation and in industrial production. McCoy eventually had a total of 57 patents, and was known throughout the world for his inventions. In 1920, McCoy opened his own company, the Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company.

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elijah mccoy: american inventor us usa america american steam engine lubricator african-american  african american k-12

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Elijah McCoy: American Inventor - EnchantedLearning.com

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Elijah McCoy: American Inventor. Elijah McCoy (1843 or 1844-1929) was a mechanical engineer and inventor. McCoy's high-quality industrial inventions, especially his steam engine lubricator, were the basis for the expression 'the real McCoy,' meaning the real, authentic, or high-quality thing.

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Lewis Latimer was an inventor and a scientist who helped develop the electric light bulb. He was also an artist and an expert on the laws that cover inventions.

Lewis Howard Latimer was born on September 4, 1848, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, to escaped slaves who had found a home in Massachusetts. He served in the Union navy during the American Civil War.

After the war Latimer went to work as an office boy for a law firm in Boston. The firm worked on patents. A patent is an official document that gives an inventor control over who may use their invention. Latimer learned all about patents and became interested in drafting, or making detailed drawings of the inventions. He eventually became the chief patent draftsman.

Latimer also began to come up with his own inventions. He received patents for many of them, including a bathroom for railroad cars and the threaded socket, which allows a light bulb to be screwed into a fixture.

In 1880 Latimer went to work for the U.S. Electric Lighting Company in Connecticut. There he worked on improving the electric light bulb, which was new at the time. Latimer and a coworker patented an improved method for making light bulbs that allowed them to burn much longer.

In 1883 Latimer went to work for Thomas Edison 's electric company. He was an engineer there and later joined the legal department. In 1890 he published a book about electricity. He was one of a small group of scientists who formed the Edison Pioneers in 1918.

Latimer also wrote poetry and music and played several musical instruments. He died on December 11, 1928, in Flushing, New York.

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Lewis Latimer was an inventor and a scientist who helped develop the electric light bulb. He was also an artist and an expert on the laws that cover inventions. Lewis Howard Latimer was born on September 4, 1848, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, to escaped slaves who had found a home in Massachusetts.

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Lewis Howard Latimer

Lewis Howard Latimer (September 4, 1848-December 11, 1928) was an African-American engineer and inventor who was a member of Edison's research team, which was called "Edison's Pioneers." Latimer improved the newly-invented incandescent light bulb by inventing a carbon filament (which he patented in 1881). In 1882, Latimer developed and patented a method of manufacturing his carbon filaments (patent #252,386). Later, the stronger tungsten filament replaced the carbon filament (invented by W. D. Coolidge). Latimer also invented a a threaded wooden socket for light bulbs.
Latimer developed many other inventions, including the first toilet that could be used in trains (1874, patent #147,363 - called "Water closet for railroad cars"), and a forerunner of the air conditioner (1886, patent # 334,078 - called "Apparatus for cooling and disinfecting"). In 1890, Latimer published the book Incandescent Electric Lighting, a technical guide for electrical engineers.

Label the parts of a modern light bulb.

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Lewis Howard Latimer - EnchantedLearning.com

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Advertisement. EnchantedLearning.com is a user-supported site. As a bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages. Click here to learn more. (Already a member? Click here.) Lewis Howard Latimer Lewis Howard Latimer (September 4, 1848-December 11, 1928) was an African-American engineer and inventor who was a member of Edison's research team, which was called "Edison's Pioneers."

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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Katherine Johnson | NASA Computer | PBS LearningMedia

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Examine the life and career of NASA computer Katherine Johnson, and engage students in a discussion of the qualities Johnson exhibited that helped her break racial and gender barriers.

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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Granville Woods was an inventor known for his work on railroads. His inventions helped make rail travel safer and faster.

Granville Woods was born in Columbus, Ohio, on April 23, 1856. He went to work in a machine shop when he was only 10 years old, but he continued to attend school in the evenings for a time. Woods began to work on railroads when he was 16.

He studied engineering at night school and became a steam locomotive engineer. He earned his first patent in 1884 for an improved steam boiler furnace. A patent is an official document that gives an inventor control over who may use their invention.

Woods started an electric company in Cincinnati, Ohio, to research, manufacture, and sell his electrical inventions. He patented many electrical systems for railways. One invention allowed people to send voice and Morse Code messages over the same wires. Another invention allowed people on moving trains to communicate with people on other trains or in stations. Woods also invented a way for trains to run on electricity instead of steam and a way for train brakes to be improved by using electricity.

In 1890 Woods moved to New York City. There he patented many changes to the equipment used in the electric street car system. He designed a grooved wheel called a troller that allowed the car to receive electric current. The term trolley car came from that invention. Woods died on January 30, 1910, in New York City.

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Granville Woods was an inventor known for his work on railroads. His inventions helped make rail travel safer and faster. Granville Woods was born in Columbus, Ohio, on April 23, 1856. He went to work in a machine shop when he was only 10 years old, but he continued to attend school in the evenings for a time.

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Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

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Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

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Otis Boykin was an African American electrical engineer and inventor. He invented a resistor (a type of electrical device) that has been used in many products, including computers. Perhaps most importantly, his work was used to create the first successful pacemaker. A pacemaker is a medical device, placed inside the body, that helps the heart to beat steadily.

Otis Frank Boykin was born on August 29, 1920, in Dallas, Texas. His father was a carpenter and his mother was a homemaker. He graduated from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1941.

After college, Boykin worked for Majestic Radio and TV Corporation in Chicago, Illinois. He stayed there for about three years. Boykin then moved around to various companies. He gained valuable experience in electronics. He eventually became an independent consultant, or advisor, for electronics companies in the United States and Europe.

Boykin invented about 26 electronic devices and earned 11 patents. A patent is an official document that gives inventors control over who may use their invention. Boykin's inventions included a chemical air filter, a burglar-proof cash register, and an improved electrical resistor. Versions of his resistor were soon used in radios, televisions, computers, and guided missiles.

Boykin's resistor also allowed for the success of the pacemaker. The resistor made it possible for the pacemaker to regulate the heartbeat with the necessary precision. Since Boykin's lifetime, pacemakers have saved and lengthened the lives of many people around the world. Boykin died in 1982 in Chicago.

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Otis Boykin was an African American electrical engineer and inventor. He invented a resistor (a type of electrical device) that has been used in many products, including computers. Perhaps most importantly, his work was used to create the first successful pacemaker. A pacemaker is a medical device, placed inside the body, that helps the heart to beat steadily.

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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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Shoes are one of the most familiar pieces of clothing that everyone wears on a regular basis. Thanks to inventions by Jan Matzeliger, they are cheaper, more reliable, and more available. Matzeliger began his technical training at the early age of 10, when he apprenticed at a machine shop and then took a job as a mechanic. At the time, he was living in his hometown, Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana (now known as Surinam), in South America. Born September 15, 1852, Matzeliger was the son of a Dutch engineer, and his mother, a native of Dutch Guiana, was of African descent.

In 1871, Matzeliger took advantage of an opportunity to leave Dutch Guiana and signed on as a sailor on an East Indian merchant ship. His maritime career, however, was shortlived. When his ship docked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, two years later, he chose to stay on land. Unable to find a job as a mechanic, Matzeliger worked a few odd jobs, including one in a cobbler, or shoe, shop. His move to Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1876, however, enabled him to develop his creativity as a shoemaker.

Lynn was the center of the U.S. shoe industry, and, according to historical records, more than half of the shoes produced in the U.S. at that time came from this town. With Matzeliger's mechanical and cobbling skills, he found work at several shoe manufacturers, including Harney Brothers. During this time, he also improved his English and began studying physics and mechanical engineering.

What puzzled and intrigued Matzeliger about shoemaking were the problems manufacturers had with shoe lasting. Lasting is the process by which the upper part of a shoe is connected to its sole. Most other shoe parts were made quickly by machines, but no reliable machine could attach the upper part of a shoe to a sole. For this reason, shoe lasting had to be done by hand, and the best hand lasters could assemble only 40 to 50 shoes in 10 hours. Moreover, mastering the skills of lasting took a considerable amount of time, and those who did were paid well for their talent. As a result, shoes were very expensive. Matzeliger realized that if he could invent a machine to do the lasting, he could revolutionize the shoe industry and make shoes more affordable and available--even for the poor.

Before beginning to design a machine to last shoes, Matzeliger studied what hand lasters did. He then rented a small laboratory space and began experimenting. In time, he created a series of drawings that illustrated his invention--a machine that replicated the lasting techniques of the hand lasters. It took Matzeliger about six months of working evenings--he continued in his regular job during the day--to construct a model that successfully completed the task. But, it still needed much refinement before it could assemble lots of shoes on a regular basis.

Matzeliger eventually moved to a larger space so that he could better continue his experiments. He still needed money, however, to fully develop his idea. So, like many other black inventors, Matzeliger sold a portion of the rights to his invention so that he would have money to continue his research. His work finally brought him recognition when, on March 20, 1883, the U.S. Patent Office granted him a patent for his shoe-lasting machine.

In some of the first factory testing, the machine lasted more shoes than any single hand laster had ever completed. Thereafter, Matzeliger's machines could assemble up to 700 pairs of shoes in a day. By 1889, his machines were being used worldwide and had become an unquestionable success. Matzeliger would eventually receive four additional patents, all related to his original shoe-lasting machine.

Unfortunately, he did not live to fully enjoy his successes. In 1886, Matzeliger contracted tuberculosis, a lung disease, and died on August 24, 1889, at the age of 37. His inventions, however, were not forgotten. Rather, they ushered in a new era in shoe production that, in time, opened the way for the great variety of shoes available today.

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Shoes are one of the most familiar pieces of clothing that everyone wears on a regular basis. Thanks to inventions by Jan Matzeliger, they are cheaper, more reliable, and more available. Matzeliger began his technical training at the early age of 10, when he apprenticed at a machine shop and then took a job as a mechanic.

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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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Famous African American Inventors

© Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Madame C.J. Walker

(1867–1919)

Walker made a fortune on her specialized beauty product line for African American women.

Background: Walker was born Sarah Breedlove on a cotton plantation near Delta, La. Her parents were former slaves. Walker was orphaned at age 7 and married at 14. By age 20, she was widowed with a small child. She relocated to St. Louis, Mo., and later married Charles J. Walker.

Invention: During the 1890s, Walker suffered hair loss. This was a common problem at the time. Because indoor plumbing was less common, people washed their hair infrequently. This left their scalps vulnerable to bacteria and lice. Walker experimented with homemade treatments and eventually created a formula that she called "Madame C.J. Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower." After changing her name to the more recognizable "Madame C.J. Walker," she traveled around the country promoting her hair care tips and products to African American women. Her knack for self-promotion made her one of the most famous African Americans of her time and a very successful businesswoman who owned multiple homes. She is one of America's first self-made female millionaires.

Did You Know? As her wealth grew, Walker donated generously to African American causes. She also took pride in employing thousands of "hair culturists," female customers who helped sell her products.

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Madame C.J. Walker | African American Inventors | Scholastic.com

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Famous African American Inventors © Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images (1867-1919) Walker made a fortune on her specialized beauty product line for African American women. Background: Walker was born Sarah Breedlove on a cotton plantation near Delta, La. Her parents were former slaves. Walker was orphaned at age 7 and married at 14.

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Garrett Morgan, inventor

Eight Black American inventors

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

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Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

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Dr. Charles Richard Drew: American Inventor

Dr. Charles Richard Drew (June 3, 1904 - April 1, 1950) was an American medical doctor and surgeon who started the idea of a blood bank and a system for the long-term preservation of blood plasma (he found that plasma kept longer than whole blood). His ideas revolutionized the medical profession and have saved many, many lives.
Dr. Drew set up and operated the blood plasma bank at the Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, NY. Drew's project was the model for the Red Cross' system of blood banks, of which he became the first director. Drew resigned his position as director after the US War Department issued a directive stating that blood taken from white donors should not be mixed with blood taken from black donors. Dr. Drew strongly objected, and stated "the blood of individual human beings may differ by blood groupings, but there is absolutely no scientific basis to indicate any difference in human blood from race to race." Dr. Drew also formed Britain's blood bank system.

Dr. Drew died on April 1, 1950, after a car accident in in rural North Carolina. Although there is a legend that he died as a result of being denied a blood transfusion and medical care from a "whites-only" hospital, Dr. Drew got immediate medical attention, in part from the other doctors (his friends) who were in the car accident with him (but were less severely injured). Dr. Drew was admitted to a mixed-race hospital, but died after being treated for massive internal injuries. A U.S. postage stamp was issued in 1981 to honor Dr. Drew.

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Dr. Charles R. Drew: American Inventor - EnchantedLearning.com

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Dr. Charles Richard Drew: American Inventor. Drew (1904-1950) was an American medical doctor and surgeon who started the idea of a blood bank and a system for the long-term preservation of blood plasma (he found that plasma kept longer than whole blood).

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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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What was the biggest challenge in inventing the Laserphaco Probe?

So many things had to come together for it. One had to know math, physics, and laser science to figure out how to come up with a delivery system that could remove cataracts. And when you put that all into the equation, it was many, many years of training and experience that enabled me to have that eureka moment. Olympic athletes and scientists share this in common--both must be disciplined in work ethic and must persevere.

How does it feel to restore eye-sight to a person who is blind?

It must be how a runner feels winning a race, or how someone feels helping a blind person across the street. It is a triumphant, exhilarating feeling.

What do you mean when you tell young people, "Remember that the limits of science are not the limits of imagination?"

Science is limited by the existing body of knowledge, by whatever the theorems or equations are at the time. When you take a step further into the unknown, that's where science begins. For example, you may see a bunch of dots on a page and think they are random. But when someone comes out with an equation to predict patterns in those dots, that's science. Without creativity and imagination, the sky would be the limit. Think about when that was realistic--before they knew about outer space, the universe. Don't allow your mind to be imprisoned by majority thinking. Step away from the herd, get out of the box, think!

Eureka is Greek for "I have found it." In English, people say it to express the thrill of making a discovery.

To persevere is to move forward, despite the obstacles that might come in the way.

Theorems are ideas that are widely accepted to be true.

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What was the biggest challenge in inventing the Laserphaco Probe? So many things had to come together for it. One had to know math, physics, and laser science to figure out how to come up with a delivery system that could remove cataracts.

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By day, Lonnie Johnson worked as an aerospace engineer. By night, as his wife and kids slept, Johnson tinkered with inventions he hoped would radically improve people's lives. Late one weekend in his bathroom, Johnson experimented with a new refrigerator cooling system--it would run on water and reduce air pollution. But when he tested the contraption's cooling hose, it blasted water into the bathtub and sent the shower curtain flying. Wow, Johnson thought, this could be the ultimate water gun! That brainstorm changed his life--and maybe made yours more fun.

Until then, squirt gun science was a no-brainer: Pull a trigger and you force water in a chamber out through a narrow opening--the same principle at work in perfume bottles and household cleaners. Johnson's inspiration: A squirt gun that stores energy could blast water like a powerful garden hose.

The result was the Super Soaker--a sale but high-pressure water pistol that volleys [H.sub.2]O up to 15 meters (50 feet). It took the engineer seven years to develop his toy (it was first mass-produced in 1989), but today industry experts call it the world's most popular squirt gun. How did Johnson do it?

Johnson built a prototype (rough design) of his idea--an empty soda bottle strapped onto plastic PVC pipe. "The first gun I made blasted Styrofoam cups off a table," he says.

The design relied on two fundamental principles of physics: force and pressure. He knew your basic squirt gun's force (push of pull on an object) is limited to the strength of your trigger finger. Each squeeze of the trigger creates pressure (force applied over an area) on the water inside the gun, shooting it out the nozzle. To drench a friend, you'd have to squeeze the trigger over and over again. To top it off, without enough pressure, the water doesn't have enough velocity (speed) to jet very far.

The Super Soaker packs a punch because you pump the gun with your whole arm and the gun stores the energy. In physics lingo: The mechanical energy from your arm transfers to the gun and becomes the kinetic energy of the water. Each pump sends water from the gun's reservoir into an air chamber. As more water pumps in, more air is trapped and squished, or compressed. Just pull the trigger and all that compressed air is released at once in a liquid blast. "Air stores energy like a spring," says Johnson. "The more you compress it, the more it bounces back."

The Super Soaker's nozzle also figures in the toy's success. The smaller a nozzle's diameter (distance across a circle), the more pressure it creates to spray a distant target. But the stream sprays so fast it breaks into droplets before it reaches the target. Johnson's secret? "It comes down to water holding together as a stream. It maximizes the amount of water you can drench somebody with."

In honing his invention, Johnson faced a design dilemma: Water shot from a wide nozzle sticks together, but a narrow nozzle makes for a better firing distance. To find the perfect nozzle size, Johnson experimented with how water sprays from four different nozzles--each with a different diameter.

First he created a data table. A data table includes all the variables (characteristics being tested) in an experiment and helps you organize information efficiently. "The data paints a picture for you," Johnson says.

Next, Johnson used a machine that blasted water through each nozzle at exactly 60 psi (pounds per square inch) of pressure--about the same amount of pressure pumped by an average 10-year-old. This guaranteed any changes in the spray would be due only to the size of the nozzle. He measured how far the water squirted from each nozzle. And he observed how much the stream stayed together. A rating of 1 meant the stream splattered like a sprinkler; a rating of 5 meant the stream scattered very little--like faucet water. Johnson recorded the results of each trial in a table, similar to the one below.

Results in hand, Johnson still didn't have the answer he needed. Plotting two line graphs makes it easy to see how nozzle size affects the gun's range and splatter rating (see below). But what if the perfect nozzle size was not one of the four he tested? A line graph plots all points in between variables. When both graphs overlap, the intersection (point where the two lines cross) suggests the perfect nozzle size. End result: the ultimate water gun to soak your friends from a safe distance.

DATA TABLE

KEY:
D = Distance (meters)
S = Splatter rating (1 = bad splatter, 5 = good splatter)

NOZZLE EXPERIMENT RESULTS *

Nozzle   TRIAL 1    TRIAL 2    TRIAL 3    AVERAGE
Size     D     S    D     S    D     S    D     S
(in.)

1/32     25   1.9   26   1.9   24   1.6   25   1.8
1/16     19   2.9   19   3.1   19   2.7   19   2.9
1/8      13   3.1   11   3.3   11   3.2   12   3.2
1/4      9    4.9   7    4.9   8    4.8   8    4.9

* Data are approximated.

QUESTION: Compare the results of the three trials above. Why is it a good idea to conduct more than one trial of an experiment?

Before he dreamed up the Super Soaker, Lonnie Johnson worked in NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab where he helped design the Galileo space probe. But invention is his passion. Here, SW grills Johnson about his life as an inventor:

WHAT WERE YOU LIKE IN JUNIOR HIGH?

I wasn't preoccupied with going out and having fun. I was pretty focused on doing stuff I was interested in. I was in science clubs. And I used to launch bottle rockets at school--something you couldn't do now.

WHAT WAS YOUR BEST SCIENCE PROJECT?

I won a state science award for building Linex, a robot, when I was in high school. He was about 4 feet tall, remote controlled, and operated on compressed air--like the Super Soaker. Ha had arras and could pick up stuff, hold things, and more around.

WHAT'S THE SECRET TO A GOOD SCIENCE PROJECT?

One of the most important steps in the scientific method is observation, because you get hints of what you're looking for. You have to really think about it and make changes based on what you see.

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION?

Need is the mother of all invention. If there's a problem that can be solved, that's a good place to start looking for a project.

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Ready, set, squirt! How one inventor used charts and graphs to make a splash

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By day, Lonnie Johnson worked as an aerospace engineer. By night, as his wife and kids slept, Johnson tinkered with inventions he hoped would radically improve people's lives. Late one weekend in his bathroom, Johnson experimented with a new refrigerator cooling system--it would run on water and reduce air pollution.

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Scientist Profile: Engineer | PBS LearningMedia

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Ever since he was a teenager, engineer Lonnie Johnson has been winning awards for his creative inventions. His most popular invention is the Supersoaker, everyone's favorite squirt gun. He discusses the inspritation and development process of the ubiquitous summer toy. This video is available in both English and Spanish audio, along with corresponding closed captions.

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Black Inventors & Scientists

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Scientists, engineers, and inventors find the solutions to the world's problems. Learn about the work that these Black scientists and inventors have accomplished that make our lives better.

George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who gained acclaim for his discovery of alternative farming methods. Carver is best known for his discovery of uses for the peanut. Among the products Carver developed from peanuts were soap, face powder, mayonnaise, shampoo, metal polish, and adhesives-but he did not invent peanut butter.

Known as a "human computer," Dorothy Johnson Vaughan was part of a team that did mathematical calculations to help launch satellites-and later humans-into space. The group used math to help engineers figure out how wind and gravity affects aircrafts.

When she was first hired to work on the space program, Vaughan's department was segregated, or separated, by race. She and the other African-American women in her unit used separate dining areas and bathrooms. Six years after she was hired, Vaughan became the manager of her division and its first Black supervisor.

A decade later, the agency desegregated and she joined the Analysis and Computation division, where she learned computer programming and worked on the program that launched John Glenn and other astronauts into space for the first time. The accomplishments of Vaughan and other female African-American mathematicians was the focus of the book and movie Hidden Figures.

Mark E. Dean is one of the top engineering minds at the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation. He made his first mark in the industry in the early 1980s, when he and a colleague developed a system that allowed computers to communicate with printers and other devices. Every time you print something, you can thank Dean.

In all, Dean holds 20 patents, and was honored as one of the "50 Most Important African Americans in Technology" by the California African-American Museum in 2000. Dean wants to help increase awareness of the contributions of Black engineers to both the engineering industry and the African-American community.

Before her 30th birthday, Mae C. Jemison had received two undergraduate degrees and a medical degree, served two years as a Peace Corps medical officer in West Africa, and was selected to join the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's astronaut training program. Her eight-day space flight aboard the space shuttle Endeavour in 1992 established Jemison as the United States' first female African-American space traveler.

Percy L. Julian is known as the "soybean chemist," for his extraordinary success in developing innovative drugs and industrial chemicals from natural soya products. The firefighting solution he devised, known as "bean soup," helped save the lives of thousands of sailors and naval airmen during World War II. His discoveries earned him more than 130 chemical patents and many professional awards.

His spirit lives on in dozens of lifesaving discoveries, as well as in the halls of Percy L. Julian Junior High School in Oak Park, Illinois. Julian was quoted as saying, "I have had one goal in my life, that of playing some role in making life a little easier for the persons who come after me."

Sarah Breedlove Walker was an inventor and businesswoman, and became one of the largest employers of African-American women of her time.

Often know as Madame C.J. Walker, she manufactured beauty products for other African-American women using formulas she developed after working for a pharmacist who taught her chemistry. Her popular hair-softening cream and shampoo helped heal dry skin and other itchy annoyances that were common in the early 1900s because indoor plumbing wasn't widely available.

Walker's company hired and trained thousands of Black women to sell her hair-care products in shops, by mail, and door-to-door. This helped many become more independent during a time when job opportunities for women were limited.

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Black Scientists and Inventors | Black History Month

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Scientists, engineers, and inventors find the solutions to the world's problems. Learn about the work that these Black scientists and inventors have accomplished that make our lives better. George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who gained acclaim for his discovery of alternative farming methods.

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Remember the ladies : 100 great American women

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Eight Black American inventors

Black pioneers of science and invention.

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Elijah McCoy, inventor

Eight Black American inventors

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

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Kids InfoBits meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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Benjamin Banneker : astronomer and scientist

Dear Benjamin Banneker

What are you figuring now? : a story about Benjamin Banneker

Seven Black American scientists

Black pioneers of science and invention.

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Biography

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This is a complete biography on Benjamin Banneker.

Benjamin Banneker

Curiosities of Childhood

Benjamin Banneker was born on November 9, 1731, in Ellicott City, Maryland. He learned reading and math at an early age from his Quaker grandmother. Once he was old enough to help on his parents' farm, however, Benjamin's education ended. Nevertheless, he exhibited an unusual fascination with taking things apart and putting them back together. At the age of twenty-one, Benjamin received his first pocket watch. He was so amazed by the workings of the intricate little machine that he built his own working clock out of wood.

Learning Astronomy

Benjamin soon became a clock and watchmaker. One of his customers was a surveyor named Joseph Ellicott. Ellicott was so impressed by Benjamin's work that he lent him his books on mathematics and astronomy. By this time, Benjamin was fifty-eight years old. Nevertheless, he began to study astronomy. Benjamin quickly learned astronomy and even made calculations that predicted the times of solar and lunar eclipses. Benjamin wrote down his calculations in his own almanac. He also calculated the position of the planets for each day of the year. His almanac was called Benjamin Banneker's Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Almanack and Ephemeris, for the Year of Our Lord, 1792; Being Bissextile, or Leap-Year, and the Sixteenth Year of American Independence.

Surveying the District of Columbia

At the age of fifty-nine, Benjamin was hired by Andrew Ellicott, the brother of Joseph Ellicott, to assist in surveying the area that would eventually become the District of Columbia. Although Benjamin had to leave the project early because of illness, he forwarded a copy of his almanac to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. He also criticized him for his pro-slavery views and urged him to put an end to slavery. Jefferson quickly responded and wrote that he agreed with Benjamin and hoped slavery could be abolished. The correspondence between Benjamin and Thomas Jefferson would subsequently be published in later copies of Benjamin's almanac.

Legacy

Benjamin died in 1806 as a pioneer in both astronomy and civil rights. Today, a new monument in Washington, DC is being planned for him.

Video

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This is a complete biography on Benjamin Banneker. Benjamin Banneker was born on November 9, 1731, in Ellicott City, Maryland. He learned reading and math at an early age from his Quaker grandmother. Once he was old enough to help on his parents' farm, however, Benjamin's education ended.

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Welcome to Britannica Library , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Children, Young Adults, and Adults.

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Julian gained fame for synthesizing several compounds of medical importance. His first important contribution came in 1935 while investigating plants used in traditional medicines. From the calabar bean he synthesized physostigmine, a drug used to treat glaucoma (an eye disease that can result in blindness).

Later on, Julian synthesized the female hormone progesterone and the male hormone testosterone using compounds extracted from soybean oil. He also made synthetic cortisone from a wild species of sweet potato. His product was much less expensive but just as effective as natural cortisone, which had been shown to be useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

Yearbook: 1856

Julian also invented a commercial process for preparing soybean protein, which could be used to coat and size paper and textiles, and to create cold-water paints. During World War II, he used soybean protein to develop AeroFoam, a substance that extinguishes oil and gasoline fires.

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Kids InfoBits - Document - Percy Lavon Julian

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Julian gained fame for synthesizing several compounds of medical importance. His first important contribution came in 1935 while investigating plants used in traditional medicines. From the calabar bean he synthesized physostigmine, a drug used to treat glaucoma (an eye disease that can result in blindness).

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Julian the Trailblazer | Percy Julian | PBS LearningMedia

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Learn how chemist Percy Julian overcame prejudice and segregation to become one of the leading scientists of the 20th century. From segregated schools in Alabama to a prestigious position and home in Chicago, follow the life and career of renowned 20th century chemist Percy Julian, who gained international recognition in chemistry despite the tremendous educational and social obstacles that African Americans faced.

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Black Inventors & Scientists

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Scientists, engineers, and inventors find the solutions to the world's problems. Learn about the work that these Black scientists and inventors have accomplished that make our lives better.

George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who gained acclaim for his discovery of alternative farming methods. Carver is best known for his discovery of uses for the peanut. Among the products Carver developed from peanuts were soap, face powder, mayonnaise, shampoo, metal polish, and adhesives-but he did not invent peanut butter.

Known as a "human computer," Dorothy Johnson Vaughan was part of a team that did mathematical calculations to help launch satellites-and later humans-into space. The group used math to help engineers figure out how wind and gravity affects aircrafts.

When she was first hired to work on the space program, Vaughan's department was segregated, or separated, by race. She and the other African-American women in her unit used separate dining areas and bathrooms. Six years after she was hired, Vaughan became the manager of her division and its first Black supervisor.

A decade later, the agency desegregated and she joined the Analysis and Computation division, where she learned computer programming and worked on the program that launched John Glenn and other astronauts into space for the first time. The accomplishments of Vaughan and other female African-American mathematicians was the focus of the book and movie Hidden Figures.

Mark E. Dean is one of the top engineering minds at the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation. He made his first mark in the industry in the early 1980s, when he and a colleague developed a system that allowed computers to communicate with printers and other devices. Every time you print something, you can thank Dean.

In all, Dean holds 20 patents, and was honored as one of the "50 Most Important African Americans in Technology" by the California African-American Museum in 2000. Dean wants to help increase awareness of the contributions of Black engineers to both the engineering industry and the African-American community.

Before her 30th birthday, Mae C. Jemison had received two undergraduate degrees and a medical degree, served two years as a Peace Corps medical officer in West Africa, and was selected to join the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's astronaut training program. Her eight-day space flight aboard the space shuttle Endeavour in 1992 established Jemison as the United States' first female African-American space traveler.

Percy L. Julian is known as the "soybean chemist," for his extraordinary success in developing innovative drugs and industrial chemicals from natural soya products. The firefighting solution he devised, known as "bean soup," helped save the lives of thousands of sailors and naval airmen during World War II. His discoveries earned him more than 130 chemical patents and many professional awards.

His spirit lives on in dozens of lifesaving discoveries, as well as in the halls of Percy L. Julian Junior High School in Oak Park, Illinois. Julian was quoted as saying, "I have had one goal in my life, that of playing some role in making life a little easier for the persons who come after me."

Sarah Breedlove Walker was an inventor and businesswoman, and became one of the largest employers of African-American women of her time.

Often know as Madame C.J. Walker, she manufactured beauty products for other African-American women using formulas she developed after working for a pharmacist who taught her chemistry. Her popular hair-softening cream and shampoo helped heal dry skin and other itchy annoyances that were common in the early 1900s because indoor plumbing wasn't widely available.

Walker's company hired and trained thousands of Black women to sell her hair-care products in shops, by mail, and door-to-door. This helped many become more independent during a time when job opportunities for women were limited.

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Black Scientists and Inventors | Black History Month

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Scientists, engineers, and inventors find the solutions to the world's problems. Learn about the work that these Black scientists and inventors have accomplished that make our lives better. George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who gained acclaim for his discovery of alternative farming methods.