Lincoln the Inventor PDF
Preview Lincoln the Inventor
E flatboat became stuck on a milldam in 1831 until m the day he died in 1865. In addition to giving a “Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president ever to have patented an e I r complete examination of this important yet little- invention. At first, this seems little more than a useful piece of his- so n addition to his other accomplishments, kibhnnoottwoohw L tanhisn o acas osecp litnevr’cisalt iii tansont fce laoLlnenicdtntr cuiaboasul lnp tc’resued rsl iiitodfoese ,ihn tytEis, ma agnnrederd as cotcrnnoee nasdtssiie vdaliventerydss, Thrrtoeecsraciotcun aseslo t dlrtiruetiavcvrtiicyiaoe .i n,n A avonnefdnd h t sioloeowtn i htLi simi sna micwgohiilnnnt dd bo oesbwt,t r aeaiixnync tetoeodp t thth hfeiose m r p seJuaantbsetjonaenlct , tg Eieinnomvg eetrnrhastepoe hndfiy’ rs hs otpif s ap Atblibaoecrnaeatt-.- Ln Ahfitoorb slrdtba utharo aerymae tgv miLestesiensnrectel osdo l nfop Lvawteienran sc stot.h lhJoneaa’ sslo osin nnal vyEne mdnU t.eiiSorts.sn o p nsoru efob saffisd eedeqrensuv tte ihnctoeet allow new insight into his character. By learning ham Lincoln, a concentrated, unsentimental, unromantic, mathemati- in patent in May 1849 as more than mere historical to understand Lincoln the inventor, readers will cally precise mind, teeming with self-taught curiosity about the inner co footnote. As Emerson demonstrates, Lincoln’s better understand Lincoln the man. causes and springs of action—whether of men or machines. You will ln scientific curiosity helped drive his lifelong in- come away from Lincoln the Inventor the wiser for understanding how t tellectual development and influenced his treat- h JASON EMERSON, the author of The Madness the mind that devised a patent for floating grounded riverboats could e ment of inventors and innovators both as a law- of Mary Lincoln, is an independent historian and also be the same mind that turned out the perfectly balanced phrases In yer and as president. freelance writer whose articles have appeared in of the Gettysburg Address, labored to promote transportation as the ve In this fresh contribution to the field of Lin- American Heritage, American History, and Civil keystone to economic mobility, and piloted emancipation through the n coln studies, Emerson shows how, when, where, t War Times magazines, Journal of the Illinois State shoals of war.” or and why Lincoln created his invention and dem- rHTUu.ni msLitv oiBenrriuccsloailtlPaul Lewiselyn tS i,Pno tcr.o ieHe stbsye.e, iLsp iuwnbrcloiitlsinhn eHgd ae rbbayilo dSg, oraaunptdhh yeLr ionnf c IRollloninb Foeoris-t “c1mLaaolse9obdafica1 nodur5ntic uustblouo t ahottlcn onelenA o. i”rgJdtvbdahenerasene aorli ihl6nIuesnla8i ,sEt ivm0.in eyml6Thon Lp6eitsro2rii nrss9eu—o c0sinwnoss1Ai ’ lesvadn llgnell,r-e rr —oipnoesvrrxw igCeotRcaivyen.inM i lcpdGgliehrz iirnunaseeestrdesgop dls ubuzTh sarooWttniai,o:el dt .kal Thi D uEo atpntthneehrub ooaeSolartssatrtohe oi aenouners y rytfg,Th i ohLanoeuufxliga ynntat t hhcng mrDoeo eeLl prwnsAe ielfi onem aanif crnn oeeocBdrffdhloi e n chDeyAra domsimnosnc u ahwdeiWtgnor oiltitoleahcraesnaksetrl:- S L ithne Icpnatentov #64e69lntnor odncaec cRlu“oootvainDtrooennffinamoy e srlvcslsl,wkcbantsi yc Deotesiihotne’rh trhmoc usieavirheuhoo oonisrittxedcpawonr nvla e,rahaai t rlweg tsinen monroch ee reclri g voirsfhdoydseRtei e er don nwuvi shishlrmona rwneeeetre iiaba necfaswscsseih of n,te npl dln httpee uuerrdo w hbtd mtrtixdros ns oeheul iet eoILcn esedafetatnpdcci sd nihn gpedtrtnva ehA nes; doeoieesnh cine aaclnpib nvnoca iofetn eeirtsrsthtaltixnc i ad enioehlapaf iobrahesrl ns oilneen,ool-oets al r,lssdleat lat s wym aeeib nt”dwt rst bhacefhe onicce oprerrcoi(veoeloeec mLterraire dkhnt hvtenU liaaorpi )esent, tlnib.rt ifnrrr soe cLdh yEiviey kEidbo n,ae,ioiletfm n mn silu onJrcnnean otopycitrteutfno.pe’e h ,wo sr irh nr dodilt esLlnesnnhfiinovnk loss iel t ei’nNnn ns.enisoochd n gd ocL t ufiiaarustnaouct wiannseorhcnnoiolrlsfrtnnnddyyee----ttt, o www.siu.edu/~siupress u the indifference with which Robert and Nicolay th e both held the lecture, and the decision to give it $24.95 usd rn CCoovveerr ibllaussetdra otino na: dLeisbirganr yb yo fT Comon Bgryersnse sl.c-usz62-132820 isbn 0-8093-2898-4 Illino aJos hlnit tHlea ayt pteunbtliiosnh eads Pproessisdibelnet wLihnecno lNn’isc coolallye catnedd isbn 978-0-8093-2898-7 is U works in 1894. niv The story of Lincoln’s invention extends be- e rs yond a boat journey, the whittling of some wood, ity P Jason Emerson and a trip to the Patent Office; the invention had re ramifications for Lincoln’s life from the day his s s Printed in the United States of America Emerson Invntr cvr mech.indd 1 11/13/08 9:38:38 AM E flatboat became stuck on a milldam in 1831 until m the day he died in 1865. In addition to giving a “Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president ever to have patented an e I r complete examination of this important yet little- invention. At first, this seems little more than a useful piece of his- so n addition to his other accomplishments, kibhnnoottwoohw L tanhisn o acas osecp litnevr’cisalt iii tansont fce laoLlnenicdtntr cuiaboasul lnp tc’resued rsl iiitodfoese ,ihn tytEis, ma agnnrederd as cotcrnnoee nasdtssiie vdaliventerydss, Thrrtoeecsraciotcun aseslo t dlrtiruetiavcvrtiicyiaoe .i n,n A avonnefdnd h t sioloeowtn i htLi simi sna micwgohiilnnnt dd bo oesbwt,t r aeaiixnync tetoeodp t thth hfeiose m r p seJuaantbsetjonaenlct ,t g Eieinnomvg eetrnrhastepoe hndfiy’ rs hs otpif s ap Atblibaoecrnaeatt-.- Ln Ahfitoorb slrdtba utharo aerymae tgv miLestesiensnrectel osdo l nfop Lvawteienran sc stot.h lhJoneaa’ sslo osin nnal vyEne mdnU t.eiiSorts.sn o p nsoru efob saffisd eedeqrensuv tte ihnctoeet allow new insight into his character. By learning ham Lincoln, a concentrated, unsentimental, unromantic, mathemati- in patent in May 1849 as more than mere historical to understand Lincoln the inventor, readers will cally precise mind, teeming with self-taught curiosity about the inner co footnote. As Emerson demonstrates, Lincoln’s better understand Lincoln the man. causes and springs of action—whether of men or machines. You will ln scientific curiosity helped drive his lifelong in- come away from Lincoln the Inventor the wiser for understanding how t tellectual development and influenced his treat- h JASON EMERSON, the author of The Madness the mind that devised a patent for floating grounded riverboats could e ment of inventors and innovators both as a law- of Mary Lincoln, is an independent historian and also be the same mind that turned out the perfectly balanced phrases In yer and as president. freelance writer whose articles have appeared in of the Gettysburg Address, labored to promote transportation as the ve In this fresh contribution to the field of Lin- American Heritage, American History, and Civil keystone to economic mobility, and piloted emancipation through the n coln studies, Emerson shows how, when, where, t War Times magazines, Journal of the Illinois State shoals of war.” or and why Lincoln created his invention and dem- rHTUu.ni msLitv oiBenrriuccsloailtlPaul Lewiselyn tS i,Pno tcr.o ieHe stbsye.e, iLsp iuwnbrcloiitlsinhn eHgd ae rbbayilo dSg, oraaunptdhh yeLr ionnf c IRollloninb Foeoris-t “c1mLaaolse9obdafica1 nodur5ntic uustblouo t ahottlcn onelenA o. i”rgJdtvbdahenerasene aorli ihl6nIuesnla8i ,sEt ivm0.in eyml6Thon Lp6eitsro2rii nrss9eu—o c0sinwnoss1Ai ’ lesvadn llgnell,r-e rr —oipnoesvrrxw igCeotRcaivyen.inM i lcpdGgliehrz iirnunaseeestrdesgop dls ubuzTh sarooWttniai,o:el dt .kal Thi D uEo atpntthneehrub ooaeSolartssatrtohe oi aenouners y rytfg,Th i ohLanoeuufxliga ynntat t hhcng mrDoeo eeLl prwnsAe ielfi onem aanif crnn oeeocBdrffdhloi e n chDeyAra domsimnosnc u ahwdeiWtgnor oiltitoleahcraesnaksetrl:- S L ithne Icpnatentov #64e69lntnor odncaec cRlu“oootvainDtrooennffinamoy e srlvcslsl,wkcbantsi yc Deotesiihotne’rh trhmoc usieavirheuhoo oonisrittxedcpawonr nvla e,rahaai t rlweg tsinen monroch ee reclri g voirsfhdoydseRtei e er don nwuvi shishlrmona rwneeeetre iiaba necfaswscsseih of n,te npl dln httpee uuerrdo w hbtd mtrtixdros ns oeheul iet eoILcn esedafetatnpdcci sd nihn gpedtrtnva ehA nes; doeoieesnh cine aaclnpib nvnoca iofetn eeirtsrsthtaltixnc i ad enioehlapaf iobrahesrl ns oilneen,ool-oets al r,lssdleat lat s wym aeeib nt”dwt rst bhacefhe onicce oprerrcoi(veoeloeec mLterraire dkhnt hvtenU liaaorpi e)sent, tlnib.rt ifnrrr soe cLdh yEiviey kEidbo n,ae,ioiletfm n mn silu onJrcnnean otopycitrteutfno.pe’e h ,wo sr irh nr dodilt esLlnesnnhfiinovnk loss iel t ei’nNnn ns.enisoochd n gd ocL t ufiiaarustnaouct wiannseorhcnnoiolrlsfrtnnnddyyee----ttt, o www.siu.edu/~siupress u the indifference with which Robert and Nicolay th e both held the lecture, and the decision to give it $24.95 usd rn CCoovveerr ibllaussetdra otino na: dLeisbirganr yb yo fT Comon Bgryersnse sl.c-usz62-132820 isbn 0-8093-2898-4 Illino aJos hlnit tHlea ayt pteunbtliiosnh eads Pproessisdibelnet wLihnecno lNn’isc coolallye catnedd isbn 978-0-8093-2898-7 is U works in 1894. niv The story of Lincoln’s invention extends be- e rs yond a boat journey, the whittling of some wood, ity P Jason Emerson and a trip to the Patent Office; the invention had re ramifications for Lincoln’s life from the day his s s Printed in the United States of America Emerson Invntr cvr mech.indd 1 11/13/08 9:38:38 AM Lincoln (cid:73)(cid:61)(cid:58)(cid:21)(cid:62)(cid:67)(cid:75)(cid:58)(cid:67)(cid:73)(cid:68)(cid:71) Emerson Frontmatter.indd 1 11/5/08 8:51:33 AM In preparing his application in 1849 to patent his invention of a device to buoy vessels over shoals, Abraham Lincoln worked with a local mechanic to build an eighteen-inch model of a ship fitted with his contraption. Lincoln hand-carved some of the model himself with his pocketknife. Illustration by Lloyd Ostendorf, author of Abraham Lincoln: The Boy, the Man, reproduced courtesy of publisher Phil Wagner, Springfield, Illinois, www.abelincoln.com. Emerson Frontmatter.indd 2 11/5/08 8:51:34 AM Lincoln (cid:73)(cid:61)(cid:58)(cid:21)(cid:62)(cid:67)(cid:75)(cid:58)(cid:67)(cid:73)(cid:68)(cid:71) ja son e m er son southern illinois university press / carbondale Emerson Frontmatter.indd 3 11/5/08 8:51:34 AM Copyright © 2009 by Jason Emerson All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 12 11 10 09 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Emerson, Jason, 1975– Lincoln the inventor / Jason Emerson. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8093-2897-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8093-2897-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-0-8093-2898-7 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8093-2898-4 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Lincoln, Abraham, 1809–1865. 2.Presidents— United States—Biography. 3. Inventors—United States—Biography. 4. River boats—Patents— History—19th century.I. Title. E457.2.E48 2009 973.7092—dc22 [B] 2008022773 Printed on recycled paper. The paper used in this publication meets the mini- mum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ansi z39.48-1992. ∞ Emerson Frontmatter.indd 4 11/5/08 8:51:35 AM For my daughter Olivia who plans to be an inventor, a scientist, a chef, and a writer when she grows up. You can do anything and everything you choose to do, Berry, just like Abraham Lincoln. Emerson Frontmatter.indd 5 11/5/08 8:51:35 AM Emerson Frontmatter.indd 6 11/5/08 8:51:35 AM con t en ts List of Illustrations ix Preface xi Acknowledgments xv I. Abraham Lincoln’s Mechanical Mind 1 II. Lincoln’s Lecture on Discoveries and Inventions: The Unknown Draft 35 Appendix 1: Patent No. 6,469, May 22, 1849, Buoying Vessels over Shoals, Abraham Lincoln, of Springfield, Illinois 57 Appendix 2: Lincoln’s First and Second Lectures on Discoveries and Inventions 61 Notes 81 Bibliography 101 Index 109 Emerson Frontmatter.indd 7 11/5/08 8:51:35 AM Emerson Frontmatter.indd 8 11/5/08 8:51:35 AM
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