Patrick Leahy: “more than 200 years ago, on July 30, 1790, Samuel Hopkins, a resident of Vermont, was granted the first United States…”

“more than 200 years ago, on July 30, 1790, Samuel Hopkins, a resident of Vermont, was granted the first United States patent. He had discovered a process for making potash, and was awarded his patent by President George Washington, Attorney General Edmund Randolph and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. Samuel Hopkins is just one of the many resourceful and creative inventors from Vermont. The town of Brandon can boast Thomas Davenport, a self-educated blacksmith interested in electricity and magnetism. Through hands-on experiments with electromagnets, he built the first true electric motor in 1834. Initially, his patent request was denied because there was no prior patent on electric machinery. But he garnered the support of numerous professors and philosophers who examined his invention and endorsed his right to a patent on his novel device. In 1837, his determinism paid off, and he secured a patent. John Deere was born in Rutland, VT and spent most of his early life in Middlebury. After moving out West, John Deere realized the cast-iron plows he and other settlers brought with them were not going to work in the Midwest soil. He studied the problem and developed the first successful steel plow using steel from a broken saw blade. This new steel plow became the key for successful farming in the West, and 'John Deere' is still synonymous with farming equipment today. Vermont continues to be a leader in inventing and obtaining patents.”