Henry Blair Influence The Development Of African-American History

From colonial days, until America became the United States, a variety of economic systems were used as a major source of revenue for American territory. One of these economic systems was based on agriculture and included a variety of contexts, such as plantations with hundreds of slaves who faced challenging circumstances or simply a farmer with fertile land. Since 1803, Henry Blair, an African-American, had lived on a large plantation he owned as a freed slave in Maryland. With the use of agricultural engineering, Blair was able to advance the economics of agriculture while being a person of color through his inventions, which eventually improved other enslaved African-American innovators in Blair's situation during the 1830s, a contentious

Corn was a very profitable farm because of its great demand in European industrial countries. Due to the great demand for these goods, maintaining the process of planting, cultivating, and harvesting them became a significant burden for farmers and slaves laboring on a plantation or farm. As a laborer under such circumstances, Henry Blair came up with an invention that “ …increased farming efficiency by reducing the labor and time needed for production; his inventions also helped improve the livelihood of other farmers” (“Black History Month…”). Blair developed a machine that would drop seeds as it went and then cover them with soil, using a rake, in order to assist with the difficult work of planting corn in such big quantities. This especially facilitated planting, but over time it diminished the satisfaction of the agricultural employees' duties. The invention had a big impact since a better farm needed to be a more productive farm that could produce supplies quickly and securely; in order to make more money, which was all the changes that were implemented through this invention. Henry Blair is proven a leader because he could improve aspects of his job rather than just completing them. Furthermore, cotton was also a very high-demand product in early America. Cotton could be used to manufacture things like cloth which again many large industrial

While persistent discrimination against persons of color had been an issue in the middle of the 1800s. Individuals who held the opinion that people of color shouldn't have access to government employment possibilities had been refuted by the divergent political positions on these issues. Henry Blair's inventions of the corn and cotton planters altered the course of opportunities for other people of color who had such aspirations: “...Patents could be granted to any man of any color, freed or enslaved. The law was changed in 1858…” (“1834-Detail…”). Many people of color's lives were touched by Henry Blair's legacy that people of color could make such large steps towards a better life; especially than that in slave states. African-Americans could rely on a healthier-paid government position with the aid of a government license, the patent. This development was important because it marked a turning point in giving people of color more opportunities in a country where there was so widespread prejudice against minorities that had people of color. Blair proved himself as a leader because he could influence people toward a more fulfilling life aside from employment discrimination. Moreover, Blair further enabled opportunity and reputation for people of color who aspired to be inventors because of the improvements he gave to