It took Elias Howe five years to perfect his sewing machine, but it didn't sell well in America at first. Howe went to England to try his luck, and while he was gone, other manufacturers stole his design. Howe succeeded in defending his patent, and from 1854 to 1867, he received a royalty on every sewing machine sold in America. In 1860 alone, that amounted to some 110,000 machines. Sewing machines made by Howe and rivals such as Isaac Merrit Singer churned out practical clothing and the latest fashions in factories and sweatshops across the Northeast. When wartime came, the machines were put to another task: making uniforms for soldiers. |
