Stephen Costanza
4) The Sole Man
Author
Language
English
Description
In 1873, at the age of 21, Jan Ernst Matzeliger immigrated to America, having left all that was familiar behind in South America. He arrived with hopes and dreams of a bright future in this new country. Though Jan had no formal training, he was highly skillful with tools and machinery, having worked in his fathers mechanic shops. But no one wanted to hire a Black immigrant who didnt speak English. Yet Jan didnt give up. He finally got a job at a shoe...
Author
Language
English
Appears on list
Description
In 1873, Jan Ernst Matzeliger immigrated to America with dreams of a bright future. Though he was highly skilled with tools and machinery, no one wanted to hire a Black immigrant who didn't speak English. Jan finally got a job at a shoe factory and learned the process of shoemaking. He envisioned a new machine, a lasting machine, that would help produce more shoes more efficiently. People scoffed at Jan's idea, but he wasn't deterred. Despite many...