31st July 1790: The first U.S. patent was awarded to Samuel Hopkins скачать в хорошем качестве

31st July 1790: The first U.S. patent was awarded to Samuel Hopkins

Potash, a chemical compound containing water-soluble potassium, has been used for over a thousand years for processes ranging from making soap and glass to fertilising crops and even to produce saltpeter for gunpowder. Originally obtained from the ashes of burned wood, potash production in America was encouraged by tariff incentives from Britain where large quantities were required for the burgeoning cloth industry. By the end of the 18th century, the vast hardwood forests that once covered New England, New York and Pennsylvania had been cleared to make way for settlers. While this initially provided significant supplies of wood for potash production, the swift removal of the forests soon left the industry in crisis as wood had to be conserved for fuel rather than being burned solely to create an industrial chemical. It was in the midst of this crisis that Samuel Hopkins, believed by the majority of historians to be the second son of Maryland Quakers, developed his process to produce potash and the purer pearl ash. This involved re-burning ashes in a furnace to improve the quality of the resulting potash, as well as mixing the insoluble ashes from one batch with the raw ashes of the next to increase the yield. Meanwhile, Congress passed the first Patent Act on 10 April, 1790. Hopkins was awarded the very first patent on 31 July of the same year, which was signed by George Washington, Edmund Randolph, and Thomas Jefferson. This gave him a monopoly on his process for fourteen years.