Garrett morgans biography
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Diverse Voices: Inventor Garrett Morgan
I would like to share the fascinating story of arguably one of the most famous, prolific, and well-documented African American inventors, Garrett A. Morgan. Yet, it’s likely that most readers don’t know much, if anything, about him.
Garrett Morgan was born in Kentucky on March 4, , about a decade after the end of the American Civil War. His father, Sydney Morgan, had been enslaved and was probably the son of his enslaver, Confederate Colonel John Hunt Morgan. Garrett Morgan’s mother was Eliza Reed, who was the daughter of a Baptist minister and had both Native American and Black heritage. He attended a segregated school for six years before leaving home at age 14 to move to Cincinnati, Ohio. There he worked as a handyman for a wealthy White landowner and used some of his earnings to hire a tutor to continue his education. In , he moved to Cleveland, where he built a reputation for repairing sewing machines for a clothi
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Garrett Morgan
Who Was Garrett Morgan?
A prolific inventor who called himself the “Black Edison,” Garrett Morgan created early versions of the traffic light and gas mask. He began his career as a sewing-machine mechanic before patenting an improved sewing machine design and a hair-straightening product, among other inventions. His breathing device, known as a safety hood, later provided the blueprint for World War I gas masks. In , Morgan invented a safer traffic light. The notable Black inventor, who lived much of his life in Ohio, died in July at age
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Garrett Augustus Morgan
BORN: March 4,
DIED: July 27,
BIRTHPLACE: Paris, Kentucky
SPOUSES: Madge Nelson () and Mary Hasek ()
CHILDREN: John, Garrett, and Cosmo
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Pisces
Early Life
Born in Paris, Kentucky, on March 4, , Garrett Augustus Morgan was the seventh of 11 children. His mother, Elizabeth Reed, was of Indian and African descent and the daughter of a Baptist minister. His f
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MORGAN, GARRETT A.
MORGAN, GARRETT A. (4 Mar. [sometimes given as ] July ), was an important uppfinnare and businessman active in the affairs of Cleveland's AFRICAN AMERICAN community. Among his most notable inventions were an early gas mask and a traffic light. Born in Paris, Ky., to Sydney and Eliza Reed, both former enslaved people, Morgan received 6 years of education before leaving home at age 14 for Cincinnati where he worked and hired a tutor to continue his education. He has long been believed to be the grandson of Confederate John Hunt Morgan, though there are no historical documents to prove this assertion, and census data makes it unlikely. He came to Cleveland on 17 June After various positions as a sewing-machine adjuster for clothing manufacturers, Morgan went into business for himself in , establishing a shop on W. 6th St. to repair and sell sewing machines. In he opened a tailoring shop; with 32 employees, he manufactured suits, dresses, and coats. In he or