First U.S. Patent Issued: Innovation's Legal Dawn
Samuel Hopkins received U.S. Patent No. 1 on July 31, 1790, for an improved method of making potash and pearl ash, chemicals essential for fertilizer, soap, and glass production. President George Washington signed the patent personally, as did Attorney General Edmund Randolph and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. The Patent Act of 1790 had been passed just three months earlier, making the United States one of the first nations to establish a formal system protecting intellectual property. The law reflected the Founders' belief that innovation required economic incentive. Jefferson himself examined early patent applications, though he found the work tedious. The system Hopkins inaugurated now processes over 600,000 applications annually.
July 31, 1790
236 years ago
Key Figures & Places
patent
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U.S.
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Samuel Hopkins (inventor)
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potash
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Patent
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Samuel Hopkins (inventor)
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Potash
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United States
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Kaliumcarbonat
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President
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George Washington
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United States Secretary of State
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Thomas Jefferson
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