Banjamin Bradley

Benjamin Bradley is credited with developing a working steam engine for a sloop-of-war in the 1840's. Below is a an excerpt from a correspondence between Bradley's owner and a colleague who helped Bradley purchase his freedom.

Bradley was owned by a master in Annapolis, Maryland. Eight years ago he was employed in a printing office there {in Annapolis. He was then about sixteen, and showed great mechanical skill and ingenuity. With a piece of gun-barrel, some pewter, a couple of pieces of round steel, and some materials, he constructed a working model of a steam engine.

His master soon afterwards got him the place of a helper in the department of Natural and Experimental Philosophy at the Naval Academy at Annapolis. He sold his steam engine to a Midshipman. With the proceeds, and what money he could lay up (his master allowing him five dollars a month out of his wages), he built an engine large enough to drive the first cutter of a sloop-of-war at the rate of sixteen knots an hour ...

Professor Hopkins, of the Academy, says that he sets up the experiments for the lecture-room very handsomely. Being shown once how to line up the parabolic mirrors for concentrating for concentrating heat, he always succeeds afterwards. So with chemical experiments. He makes all the gasses, and works with them, showing the Drummond Lights, &c. Professor Hopkins remarks of him that "he looks for the law by which things act."

He has been taught to read and write, mainly by the Professor's children; has made very good progress in arithmetic, and will soon take hold of algebra and geometry.

Source: James Haskins. Outward Dreams : Black Inventors and Their Inventions. (New York, NY : Walker), 1991. p. 24.

Bradley was unable to patent his work under United States law, which forbade a slave from patenting his steam engine inventions. However, he was able to purchase his freedom with the proceeds of his work.

Bibliography:

The Black Man in America:

Outward Dreams : Black Inventors and Their Inventions.

Inventor's Digest