American History, Unfiltered: Sarah Boone

American History, Unfiltered:A post series highlighting people from traditionally marginalized groups who accomplished great things for America.

⚠️ Today’s post mentions sensitive topics, such as the enslavement of Black people in the 1800’s. 

Tomorrow marks 131 years since Sarah Boone (the inventor!) became one of the first Black women to be awarded a patent when she received hers for the modern-day ironing board.

She was born in 1832 to enslaved parents and only achieved freedom with her marriage to James Boone, a free Black man, in 1847.   

Via the network of the Underground Railroad, she traveled with James, their eight children, and her widowed mother-in-law, to settle in a Black neighborhood in New Haven, Connecticut. Here, she worked as a dressmaker and was successful enough to own her own house after her husband’s passing in the 1870’s. 

At the time, dressmakers were ironing their clothes on a wooden plank placed across two chairs. She came up with the solution to create a more narrow, curved board that could slip into sleeves and allow for the clothing to be moved without getting wrinkled. It was also padded so the wood wouldn’t leave impressions in the clothing, as well as collapsible so it could be stored easily.

Utilizing writing skills she has only has for a few years (due to it being illegal for Black people), she applied for the patent of her new and improved ironing board in 1891.

When she was awarded U.S. Patent No. 473,653 on April 26, 1892, she was one of the first Black women to ever receive one.