Hannah Slater (née Wilkinson; 1774–1812) was an early American pioneer and inventor.^[1] Some sources state that she was the first American woman to receive a patent,^[2]^[3] however others state that Hazel Irwin, who received a patent for a cheese press in 1808,^[4]^[5] or Mary Kies, in 1809, was the first.^[6]^[7]

Early life

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Slater grew up in a Quaker family in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, with two sisters, five brothers and parents Lydia and Oziel.^[8]^[9] Her father was a successful businessman and business partner of Moses Brown, who was in turn in business with Samuel Slater, an industrialist. Brown recommended the Wilkinson home as a suitable place for Samuel Slater to board when he arrived in the area in early 1790. At the time, Hannah was 15 years old.^[9]

Oziel and Lydia were initially against Hannah marrying someone who was not a Quaker; however they relented and on October 2, 1791, Hannah and Samuel were married.^[8] In the same year, Samuel opened his own mill in the area and began to build machinery for manufacturing textiles, modeled after the machines he was familiar with in England.^[10] This mill has been preserved as a historical site and is known as the Slater Mill Historic Site.^{[citation needed]}

Adult life

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Invention

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In 1793, Samuel Slater showed Hannah some very smooth yarn he had spun from long staple Surinam cotton. While Samuel intended to use this yarn to produce cloth, Hannah and her sister saw a different potential. Using a hand spinning wheel, they spun the yarn into thread, which turned out to be stronger than traditional linen thread.^[11]^[12]^[9] The same year, Hannah applied to the U.S. Patent Office for a patent for an invention - a new method of producing sewing thread from cotton.^[7] The patent was issued in the name of "Mrs Samuel Slater".^[3] By creating a more robust thread, Hannah's invention contributed to improving the quality and durability of textile products. This innovation was particularly significant in the context of the American textile industry, which was seeking ways to compete with already established European manufacturers.

Community work

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Beyond her contributions to textile innovation, Hannah Slater was also active in her community. She participated in religious and welfare organizations in Pawtucket, including the establishment of a village Sunday School and a Female Beneficent Society in 1809. Hannah served as the treasurer of this society, with her sister Lydia as one of its directors. Her involvement in these organizations demonstrated her commitment to improving the social and spiritual well-being of her community. ^[9]

Family

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Slater gave birth to 10 children, four of whom died in infancy or childhood. The known children and their years of birth are William (b. 1796), Elizabeth (b. 1798), Mary (b. 1801), Samuel (b. 1802), George (b. 1804), John (b. 1805), Horatio (b. 1808), William (b. 1809) and Thomas (b. 1812).^[8]

Slater died in 1812 about two weeks after the birth of her last child, from complications of childbirth. She was 37 years old.^[8] Her husband wrote in his memoirs that after her death "the poor lamented her, whose charities and kindness they had experienced".^[8] Slater was buried at Mineral Spring Cemetery.^[9]

References

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