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Sarah Boone

Background/Early life: Sarah Boone was born in Craven County, North Carolina in 1832. In a time of slavery and lacking rights, Sarah along with her siblings were all born into slavery and was barred from a deserved education. Instead, she learned from her very own grandfather as that was all she had. Looking for ways to escape slavery and seek freedom, some speculated that she had achieved liberty by marriage. At only age 15, she had gone on to marry James Boone, a freed slave who lived in New Bern. Additionally, the couple went on to raise 8 children of their own. Due to the incoming American Civil War, the family had chosen to uproot their lives and move to New Haven, Connecticut. The family had grown into an exclusively black neighborhood at Dixwell Avenue where the family had laid a successful and hardworking foundation. Specifically, Boone worked as a successful and innovative dressmaker. Speculated by some, Boone’s work was valued enough to possibly own a house of her very own.

Innovation/Career: In a competitive and saturated market, Boone had to create an edge among all of her competitors for her dresses. So as innovators do, she had begun to innovate to make her dresses the best and most differentiated. She did this by assessing a common problem of modern dress working. Moreover, it was common that ironing would take place on a wooden plank on top of two chairs. This method would be adequate for some skirts like wide skirts but not best suited for all skirts and dresses. Boone saw this as an opportunity to innovate, as she went on to create a thinner, curved board that could slip into clothing and was collapsible to move and store easily. During all of this time, Boone had also learned how to read and write from the ground up. Amazingly, filing a patent for the new and multifunctional ironing board in 1891 and was awarded the patent in 1892. Boone was amazing as she learned and owned everything from herself and paved the way for African American women in the future.

Death: Boone was unfortunately diagnosed with Bright’s disease and died later in 1904. Although Boone had received recognition, there is little evidence that she monetarily benefitted from her innovation. Yet, her innovation still remains an important part of the common and modern household today. Still, Boone’s legacy as one of the first African American women who was recognized for her innovation opened up opportunities for women and people of color in the future.

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