The invention of the sewing machine greatly changed the textile industry and every day American life. The sewing machine changed the lives of women and the middle and lower class. Many designs of the sewing machine have existed and most of those have failed. This brought a lot of joy to America, however the patent of the sewing machine caused a lot of feud between a few people. The invention of the first models of the sewing machine, along with those after, sparked a technological, social and industrial revolution by simply speeding up the pace of industrialization (Eves, “Sewing Revolution: The Machine That Changed the World”).
Inventions created decades earlier such as the spinning jenny and cotton gin led to the creation of newer, larger and more modern textile mills (Eves, “Sewing Revolution: The Machine That Changed the World”). Beginning in the 1730s, many inventors started to create machines that emulated at least one of the hand-knitting functions previously used in the making of textiles. By changing the way that clothing was made, the sewing machine ended the usage of the cotton gin and the cotton industry overall was destroyed. This was happening while sweatshops were being created and led to new jobs being available to the lower class. This new machine provided middle class women with the chance to prove to men that they could not only use, but master this complex machinery. Many men were reluctant to buy their wives this new machine because they did not think that they would be able to work it, therefore, companies such as Singer hired women to use these machines in windows of stores and advertised these machines to primarily women and young girls to show that women were able to master this machine (Massoff, 199). By the 1900s, almost every middle class women owned a sewing machine. Soon after, women showed men that they could master other machinery such as automobiles, VCRs and computers (Eves, “Sewing Revolution: The Machine That Changed the World”). The sewing machine quickly became a symbol of women and their work in the modern era.
For at least 20,000 years, people have been sewing and it was always done by hand. The sewing machine is actually a fairly recent invention and for centuries, people – mostly women – had to sew slowly by hand (Eves, “Sewing Revolution: The Machine That Changed the World”). The very first patent connected to the mechanical sewing machine belonged to Charles Weisenthal (Bellis, “Stitches – The History of Sewing Machines”). The patent described a needle that was designed for a machine, however, there was no such machine that existed at that time. Every inventor was attempting to create a machine that mocked the way that hands move when sewing, which created the biggest problem for them all. The way that hands move while sewing is so unique and different to each individual that it is nearly impossible for a machine to emulate those movements. Barthelemy Thimonnier created the very first functioning machine in 1830. This machine used one thread and a hooked needle that made the exact chain stitch used with embroidery (Bellis, “Stitches – The History of Sewing Machines”). People could now sew faster and easier at home, which enraged French tailors who were in fear of their jobs being taken away by this invention. They burned down his factory, ruining all of his machines and almost killing him.
Before sewing machines, the government rarely gave out patents. After this inventions, hundreds of patents were given out by the government annually. Sewing machines did not go into mass production until the 1850’s (Bellis, “Stitches – The History of Sewing Machines”). Isaac Singer built the first commercially successful machine at this time. This machine had a needle that moved up and down and was powered by a foot pedal. The previous machines had needles that moved side to side and were hand cranked. Elias Howe had a patent on a machine, as well, however, he received his six years earlier. These two machines used the same lockstitch, starting the patent war in this industry (Massoff, 182). Elias Howe sued Isaac Singer and won in 1854, giving Elias Howe exclusive patent rights to the eye pointed needle. Another man created a similar machine around that same time, however, it was lost in the patent factory. This man could have gotten mixed into this legal battle with Elias Howe and Isaac Singer if his machine was not lost.
Sewing machines are rarely used in the home today unless it is for a small task or if it is used by someone who used them when they were popular. This does not keep it from having the title of one of the “epoch-making inventions of America”, given to the machine in Washington D.C. in 1891 (Massoff 202). Since the creation of the sewing machine, hundreds of large factories rose up all around America to begin the manufacturing of clothing. The creation of this has also led to the search and development of new technology that would make every day operations easier and more efficient in the household. The invention and success of the sewing machine is a story of early American technological, commercial and legal resourcefulness which shows important realistic lessons for how patents work and are understood today (Massoff, 165).
- Askaroff, Alex I. “ELIAS HOWE, INVENTOR OF THE SEWING MACHINE.” ELIAS HOWE, INVENTOR OF THE SEWING MACHINE. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.
- Bellis, Mary. “Patent Wars – The History of Sewing Machines.” About.com Inventors. About.com. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
- Eves, Jamie H., Beverly L. York, Carol Buch, and Michele Palmer. “Sewing Revolution | Windham Textile & History Museum.” Windham Textile History Museum. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
- Mossoff, Adam. The Rise and Fall of the First American Patent Thicket: The Sewing Machine War of the 1850s (March 6, 2009). Arizona Law Review, Vol. 53, pp. 165-211, 2011; George Mason Law & Economics Research Paper No. 09-19. Web. 29 March 2016.
