Have you ever wondered about the history behind those things that protect our feet, Uhm yes shoes. Jan Matzeliger invented a shoe lasting machine which changed the world by giving people somthing to protect their feet with, making mass production of shoes possible, and making it possible for ordinary citizens to purchase shoes.
Jan Matzeliger was born in Paramaribo [Dutch Guiana] South Africa on September 15, 1852. His father was a Dutch engineer who married a native Black Surinamese woman. At the age of ten, Jan worked in the machine shops watched over by his father, where his talents with working with machinery, were first noticed.Growing up for Jan was tough and children of his mixed race were very race during the time of slavery. Although Jan Ernest Matzeliger lived for 37 years he did alot in his life time.
In 1871, at the age of 19, he sailed the world and settled in Lynn Massachusetts 2 years later. To support himself he got a job in a shoe factory. His Co-workers where always giving him a hard time because of his black ancestory so he would try to find ways to prove them wrong. His Co-workers aften bragged about being hand-lasters without there complex skills, shoe making wouldnt be possible. They used to try and put Jan down by saying their job was the best and best paying and also made fun of his color. Hand lasters attached the uper part of a show to the sole because there where no machines to do the job. A skilled hand laster would be able to sow about 50 shoes in a 10 hour work day.
While Jan was living in Lynn, Massachusetts the first church of christ took him in as a member and helped teach him english because his native tongue was dutch. They where really the only ones who took him in and gave him a chance and looked past his color and came over the language barrier. Although Jan loved going to church between his ten hour work day and finding time to sleep he didnt spend much time at the church.
Another great person who changed machine industry In 1852-1889 is Jan Matzeliger (Abby Battis) before he came along, no one thought it was possible to make shoes entirely by machine. ... When Matzeliger was thirty years old, he created a machine that could make 150 to 700 pairs a day that's fourteen times as many as a skilled person! ...
