THOMAS JENNINGS
Thomas Jennings (1791-1859) "Receives first Patent by African American"
Thomas Jennings was the first African American to receive a Patent. As the owner of a New York dry cleaning store, Jennings patented a process for cleaning clothing. He later used the money he earned with his invention to buy his family out of slavery. Active as an abolitionist, Jennings published petitions that advocated the end of slavery in New York.
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