John Jackson James Forten Innovator Cards Ingenious Inventions Tour James Forten John Jackson I was a young man during the American Revolution, when New Along with my brothers, in 1781, I bought the property on York City was occupied by the British. Before Wallabout Bay Wallabout Bay where the Brooklyn Navy Yard stands today. We became the home of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, British prison ships built a shipyard on the land, and provided jobs for skilled labor- occupied these waters. They captured anyone who disobeyed ers—many of whom were Irish immigrants—in this booming the British embargo. In 1781, I was fifteen years old and worked industry of wooden ship building. In 1798 workers at our ship- on the privateer Royal Louis. The British captured our ship, and yard built the USS Adams, the first Navy ship constructed on the I survived a seven-month sentence on the HMS Jersey, a Brit- property. A 28-gun wood warship, the Adams went on to have ish prison ship. I was lucky to survive, as nearly 12,000 men and quite a career—capturing boats in the West Indies during the women died aboard these ships! After the war, I was almost sold Quasi-War with France, fighting off Barbary Pirates on the into slavery, even though I had always lived as a free black man in North African Coast, and finally meeting its end when it was Philadelphia, my hometown. With another stroke of luck, a game burned by its own crew to avoid capture by the British during of marbles with the Captain’s son kept me from being sold to the War of 1812. Meanwhile, I sold our shipyard to the federal the West Indies as many other prisoners of African descent were. government for $40,000 in 1801. At that time, President John The Captain offered to send me to England for an education, but Adams authorized the establishment of a naval shipyard on the I proudly refused; I would never betray my American patriotism land, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard was born. by going to live with the enemy! Instead, I went back to Phila- delphia, where I apprenticed with a sail maker. There, I invented immigrants – people who come to live permanently in another a device to hoist sails, which made it easier to control the large country sails on the ships of my time. Eventually taking over the busi- ness as owner, I became one of the richest men in Philadelphia, Quasi-War – an undeclared war between the United States and France, fought mostly at sea, 1798-1800 and throughout my life, I worked tirelessly to end slavery. Barbary Pirates – pirates from the North African Coast, they fought two wars against the U.S. in 1801 and 1815 embargo – a government’s order to ban merchant ships from entering War of 1812 – a conflict between the United States and England, or exiting its ports 1812-1814 privateer – a privately owned armed ship, ordered by a government authorized – gave official permission or instruction to fight enemy ships apprenticed – worked for another in order to learn a trade hoist – raise or lift, often with the help of a mechanical device In Innovator Cards Ingenious Inventions Tour Image Credit: Portrait of James Forten, artist unknown; The Historical Society of Image Credit: Map of Wallabout Bay, 1810; New York State Archives. Pennsylvania (HSP), Leon Gardiner Collection. ✁ Skilled Worker: Joiner Henry Eckford Innovator Cards Ingenious Inventions Tour Henry Eckford Skilled Worker: Joiner I served as chief naval constructor at the Yard from 1817-1820. I work with wood, and in the early 1800s, my skills as a craftsman That’s when I designed the USS Ohio, a 2700-ton, 74-gun wood- were indispensable to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Woodworkers en warship. Launched in 1820, the Ohio took three years to like me made every piece of each ship that we built by hand. build and was the first Navy Yard-built ship to launch. In my day, Plus, our skills were necessary to repair damaged ships. Instead the Ohio boasted the latest in ship technology. Sailors on board of pursuing my school studies, I developed my woodworking my ship were amazed by the ship’s speed, stability, and agility. expertise and tremendous nautical knowledge by observing The Navy needed a ship like the Ohio to help us with: our many experts at work as an apprentice. I was part of a team of private wartime missions, trading deals across the world, and explor- shipbuilders who worked on the USS Torch, Flambeau, Firefly, atory expeditions. I also designed the USS Grampus, a fast ship Spark and Spitfire. These ships were used by the U.S. Navy during built to catch smugglers and slave traders. the War of 1812. After the war, these ships became part of an important mission to catch Barbary Pirates on the North Afri- can coast. launched – set a boat in motion for the first time stability – ability to stay upright and not fall over indispensable – absolutely necessary agility – ability to move quickly and easily expertise – advanced skill or knowledge expedition – voyage with a specific purpose nautical – concerning sailors or sea navigation smugglers – people who move goods illegally into or out of a country apprentice – work for another in order to learn a trade War of 1812 – a conflict between the United States and England, 1812-1814 Barbary Pirates – pirates from the North African Coast, they fought two wars against the U.S. in 1801 and 1815 In Innovator Cards Ingenious Inventions Tour Image Credit: U.S. Ship of the Line Ohio: 104 guns, published by Nathaniel Currier, Image Credit: Gunboat construction inset image from “Scenes in the Brooklyn circa 1847; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Navy Yard,” Harper’s Weekly, August 21, 1861; Brooklyn Navy Yard. ✁ Robert Fulton Edward Robinson Squibb Innovator Cards Ingenious Inventions Tour Edward Robinson Squibb Robert Fulton I came to the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1852, after serving as a I believed in the power of new ideas, especially concerning surgeon on U.S. ships during the Mexican-American War. ships. In 1807, when wooden sail ships powered by the wind During my service, I couldn’t believe the poor quality of ruled the seas, I worked with my father-in-law, Robert L. Livings- medicines that were supplied to the Navy, and I was certain ton, to build the first commercially successful steam-powered these medicines were dangerous to my patients. I arrived ship, Clermont. I also had an interest in designing innovative at the Yard during a time of growth for the Brooklyn Naval weapons, and with some funding from the government, I Hospital, whose building was completed at the Navy Yard site in developed what I called a “torpedo,” an underwater explosive 1840. There I worked with Surgeon B.F. Bache to open a labora- designed to attack enemy ships. My torpedo was tested here at tory where I was able to create and test out new, more effective the Brooklyn Navy Yard, but it failed to explode during tests, and medicines. One of my greatest inventions was a pure and con- the project was dropped. The U.S. Government still believed in sistent form of ether, an anesthetic that had been developed in my ideas, however, and during the War of 1812, work began on the 1800s but had proven too unreliable to use safely. Before my ship Demologos, the first steam-propelled warship. Built at anesthesia was invented, surgery was extremely painful and the Yard in 1814, the ship boasted a top speed of six miles per often deadly for patients. My invention was invaluable during hour, and it was armed with sixteen guns. The war ended just the Civil War, when amputations and other surgeries became a as Demologos was finished, so my ship never saw combat. After routine part of life on the battlefield. I also invented a new kind my death in 1815, Demologos was renamed Fulton. Many of my of medicine chest, a life-saving device that could be carried by technological ideas were not fully realized until fifty years after soldiers in the field. My company, which became part of today’s my death. Bristol-Meyers Squibb, sold many products around the world. commercially – intended to make a profit surgeon – a doctor who performs surgery (operations) on people steam-powered – operated by the force of vapor produced by boiling Mexican-American War – the first armed conflict between the United water States and Mexico, 1846-1848 innovative – brand new, using advanced and original methods anesthetic – a substance that makes someone unable to feel pain War of 1812 – a conflict between the United States and England, unreliable – not consistent or able to be trusted 1812-1814 anesthesia – branch of medicine concerned with administering boasted – took pride in pain-numbing medication invaluable – extremely useful amputation – removal of a limb (arm, leg, hand, etc.) In Innovator Cards Ingenious Inventions Tour Image Credit: Women bottling Squibb Mineral Oil, V1973.5.784 Photographic; Image Credit: Steam Battery Demologos; General arrangement diagram, Bristol-Myers Squibb, ARC.202; Brooklyn Historical Society. copied from Charles B. Stuart, Naval & Mail Steamers of the United States, 1853; Naval History and Heritage Command. ✁ William McAlpine John Ericsson Innovator Cards Ingenious Inventions Tour John Ericsson William McAlpine I’m the engineer who designed the USS Monitor, which became I was the chief project engineer on Dry Dock 1, the first dry the first ironclad warship used by the Union Navy during the Civil dock built to repair boats at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.