November in African American History

November 23 ~ Patent No. 549,059 was awarded on this day in 1897 to Andre J. Beard, an African American inventor. Despite having no formal education in engineering or metalwork, Beard had invented an automatic railroad car coupling device called the Jenny Coupler. Before Beard's invention, men had to try to brace themselves between two railroad card and drop a metal pin into place at the exact moment the two cars came together. Thousands of railroad workers lost their hands, arms, and even their lives. His automatic coupler safely hooked railroad cars to each other.

By Tiffani Addison