Meta description: Sarah Boone biography covers her birth in 1832 in North Carolina, her move to New Haven, her dressmaking career, her 1892 ironing board patent No. 473,653, and her death in 1904. Read 5 key facts with sources.
Who Was Sarah Boone?
Sarah Boone was an African American dressmaker and inventor who patented an improved ironing board in 1892. She was one of the first African American women to receive a patent in United States history. She lived from 1832 to 1904.
What Are the Key Facts About Sarah Boone?
The table below lists documented facts about Sarah Boone. Each row names a category, and the second column gives the detail.
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Sarah Marshall |
| Birth year | 1832 |
| Birthplace | Near New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina |
| Spouse | James Boone, married in 1847 |
| Children | 8 |
| Occupation | Dressmaker |
| Patent | U.S. Patent 473,653, April 26, 1892 |
| Death date | October 29, 1904 |
| Death place | New Haven, Connecticut |
When and Where Was Sarah Boone Born?
Sarah Boone was born Sarah Marshall in 1832 near New Bern in Craven County, North Carolina. Her parents were Sally and Caleb Marshall, who were both enslaved by James Marshall.
Who Did Sarah Boone Marry?
Sarah Boone married James Boone in 1847 and had 8 children with him. James Boone was a free African American. She was 15 at the time of the marriage.
How Did Sarah Boone Gain Her Freedom?
Some sources link Sarah Boone’s freedom to her 1847 marriage. According to some sources, she acquired her freedom through marriage to James Boone. BlackPast states the couple were freed under unknown circumstances.
Why Did Sarah Boone Move to New Haven?
Sarah Boone moved to New Haven, Connecticut, before the Civil War with her husband, children, and widowed mother. Biography.com reports the family used a network tied to the Underground Railroad. New Haven city directories show the family lived there by 1856.
Key facts about her life in New Haven include:
- The family settled in a Black neighborhood near Dixwell Avenue.
- She was a member of the Dixwell Avenue Congregational Church, documented in 1889.
- Her husband worked as a bricklayer until his death in the 1870s.
What Was Sarah Boone’s Career?
Sarah Boone worked as a dressmaker in New Haven. New Haven was the leading supplier of corsets in the United States in her time, according to Edward Atwater’s 1887 history of the city. Records show she earned enough to own her own house.
What Did Sarah Boone Invent?
Sarah Boone invented an improved ironing board with a narrow, curved shape. The board slipped into sleeves and let a garment shift without wrinkling. Earlier methods used the kitchen table or a board propped on two chairs.
Key facts about the invention include:
- She applied for the patent in 1891.
- The patent was granted on April 26, 1892, as U.S. Patent 473,653.
- The ironing board itself was first patented in 1858, so her patent covered an improvement.
- She added padding and later made the board collapsible, according to the Amsterdam News.
- The patent text points to a possible variation for men’s clothing.
Did Sarah Boone Profit From Her Invention?
Evidence of financial gain from the patent is limited. Biography.com reports little evidence that she benefited from commercializing the invention.
How Did Sarah Boone Die?
Sarah Boone died of Bright’s disease on October 29, 1904. She was 72 years old. She is buried alongside her husband and mother in Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven.
Why Is Sarah Boone Remembered Today?
Sarah Boone is recognized as an early African American woman patent holder. Her patent came about 8 years after that of Judy Reed, who is believed to be the first African American woman to receive one. Her ironing board is recognized as the prototype for the modern household item.
People Also Ask
What did Sarah Boone invent?
Sarah Boone invented an improved, curved ironing board in 1892.
When was Sarah Boone born?
Sarah Boone was born in 1832 in Craven County, North Carolina.
What was Sarah Boone’s patent number?
Sarah Boone received U.S. Patent 473,653 on April 26, 1892.
Was Sarah Boone the first Black woman to receive a patent?
Sarah Boone was one of the first, and Judy Reed is believed to be the first.
How did Sarah Boone die?
Sarah Boone died of Bright’s disease on October 29, 1904.
What Are the 5 Key Facts in the Sarah Boone Biography?
The Sarah Boone biography has 5 key facts:
- Birth in 1832 near New Bern, North Carolina
- Move to New Haven, Connecticut, by 1856
- Career as a dressmaker
- Patent 473,653 for an improved ironing board in 1892
- Death on October 29, 1904, in New Haven
Sources: Biography.com; BlackPast; Connecticut Explored; Amsterdam News; Brandeis University; Wikipedia.