Paving the way

Paving the way: Lewis H. Latimer

Lewis Latimer, son of ex-slave, invented the Carbon-filament light bulb and will alLeways be remembered for the widespread use of the electric light bulb around the world. He also drew up the diagrams for the first telephone.

Lewis H. Latimer born on Sept 4th 1848 in Chelsea, Massachusetts, was the son of George and Rebecca, who escaped from slavery in Virginia and headed North in search of better opportunities and freedom for their children. Today the African American genius, Lewis H. Latimer, is known for inventing the carbon-filament light bulb and for working with great inventors like Alexander Graham bell and Thomas A. Edison.

Some had claimed that it was Latimer who invented the telephone and not Bell, “but this would be unlikely, since, Latimer had often defended Bell's claims in court as being the first to invent the telephone.” Alexamder Graham Bell wanted to have his invention, the telephone, patented before someone else registers a similar device. He hired Latimer to draw up the plans for the new invention, which would communicate two ways. Latimer worked late at nights to supply Bell with the blue prints for the new invention and for submitting applications, which allowed Bell to file his patent first on February 14th 1876, by just a few hours in the race against one of his rivals.
Latimer was also connected to another great inventor, Thomas A. Edison. He was on Edison’s research team and will always be remembered for inventing the carbon-filament light bulb and for the widespread use of the electric light around the world. Although, in 1878, it was Thomas Edison who invented a prototype incandescent light bulb which would replace candles and gaslight forever, it was Latimer who invented the carbon-filament light bulb in 1897, after thousands of tests, spreading the use of the light bulb across the world. Edison's prototype light bulb used a thin strip of paper, attached to wires which were enclosed in a vacuum inside a bulb. When electricity flowed into the paper filament it was lit by a glow, but the draw back was when the paper filament burnt out quickly, lasting only about 30 seconds. Latimer made a break through with his improvement on the light bulb invented by Edison. This improvement to the light bulb was Latimer’s most important scientific contribution. Soon the light bulb became practical for use and today the world cannot live with out it, thanks to one of the greatest electrical pioneers that ever walked on this planet, Lewis H. Latimer. Also, for many years, Latimer served as a witness during the court battles over Edison’s patents.

Lewis Latimer, the son of escaped slaves, was a true genius and is a person we should look up to as a role model. His patents were as follows: Water closet for railroad cars on Feb 10th 1874; improvement on electric lamp on Sept 13, 1881; process for manufacturing carbon filament on Jan 17th 1882; arc light glove support on Mar 21, 1882; patent for apparatus for cooling and disinfecting on Jan 12, 1886; and device for locking hats, coats, and umbrellas on hanging racks on Aug 25, 1895. As mentioned earlier, in 1876, Lewis completed drawings for the patent of Alexander Graham Bell's Telephone.

In 1890, Latimer wrote the first book on electric lighting called Incandescent Electric which was a technical engineering book and thus became a guide for lighting engineers. Latimer excellence and contributions led to work on many projects. His boss sent him around the world to supervise the installation of public electric lights in New York, Philadelphia, Montreal and London.

Later on, filaments made of tungsten replaced the carbon filament. However, it will always be remembered that it was the work of Lewis H. Latimer that led to the widespread use of the electric light.

Paving the way: Sam Sharpe - Through Non-Violence

Sam Sharpe was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica in 1801 during the days of imperialism and slavery. Although most enslaved Africans were suppressed by their masters who did not want them to learn and who stopped them from reading and writing, Sam Sharpe learned to read and write and became a good speaker. He also became a Bible class leader. He found out through reading the newspapers, that some people in England were fighting to put an end to slavery.

From bible studies Sam learned that all men are made equal and ‘no man can serve two masters.’ Sam knew who the real master was. Sam wanted to free the enslaved Africans from exploitation and he wanted to do it in a peaceful way-through non-violence. He wanted the Africans to sit down on their job for one day until they got paid. Sam had a plan and his message spread amongst the church and the people.
Sam realized that right after Christmas the sugar cane would be ripe and must be cut down immediately otherwise it would spoil. His plan was to have the plantation owners pay the enslaved Africans for cutting down the cane before it spoiled.

Sam’s plan failed after a few of his followers did not wait for him to carry out the plan of non-violence. The plan backfired even more because even the missionaries who were against slavery did not help Sam but tried to stop him. The plantation bosses were already opposed to them being in Jamaica, standing in the way as they carried out their exploitation.

In the end, because all of Sam’s followers were not willing to carry out this plan of non-violence, 300 of the enslaved Africans were executed when the government sent in soldiers to capture them.

Although, many of the Africans did follow Sam’s plan for non-violence, but that was not enough to ensure success; this plan required everybody to follow Sam’s plan. In the end Sam Sharpe gave up his plans for peaceful strikes. Sharpe was tried in court and executed in Market Square in Montego Bay in 1832.

Although his plan failed, Sam’s determination for freedom through non-violence helped bing about more awareness of slavery. As more and more people in England became aware of what was really going on in the Caribbean, they wanted an end to slavery. After years of struggle for freedom by the en-slaved Africans and by the people in England, slavery was finally abolished in 1834 in the British Caribbean.
In the end although Sam’s original plan for a sit-down demonstration had failed, “his followers of non-violence helped bring slavery to an end.”