Connecticut


Mary Kies

In 1790, the Patent Act was passes and allowed anybody, male or female, to protect their invention with a patent. A patent is a government grant that gives the inventor the exclusive right to make, use or sell their product for a limited time.  Mary Kies was a woman from Connecticut and on May 5^th, 1809 she became the first woman to receive a United States Patent. She invented a new way to weave straw with silk. This method of weaving straw with silk was used to make bonnets and fancy hats for women. At the time Mary Kies received her patent, President Madison was looking for new ways to replace the goods that had been lost because the United States had stopped importing goods with Europe to prevent a war with Napoleon. First Lady Dolly Madison praised Mary Kies for providing a way to replace these goods.

For more information on Mary Kies, you can visit the following websites:

	http://www.inventorsmuseum.com/marykies.htm
	http://www.americaslibrary.gov/pages/jb_0505_maryk_1.html
	http://www.americaslibrary.gov/pages/jb_0505_maryk_2.html
	http://www.americaslibrary.gov/pages/jb_0505_maryk_3.html