Author(s): Barbara Mitchell
Format: Paperback
No. of Pages: 62
Publisher: Lerner Publications Co ,U.S.
Language: English
Date Published: 1992-12-11
Dimensions: 147.32 x 210.82 x 7.62mm
Publication City/Country: Minneapolis, United States
Edition: Reprint
Illustrations:

Jan Matzeliger felt anything but welcome in Philadelphia in 1873. As well as being a foreigner, Jan was half African American, which meant that most doors were closed to him. Although the Civil War had been over for nearly ten years, inequality for African Americans still persisted in its aftermath. However, Jan refused to let prejudice keep him from achieving his dream of making a shoe-lasting machine to replace the tedious, time-consuming hand sewing that held up shoe manufacturing processes in his day.