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The Wheels of Progress


As we cruise down modern roadways in our cars and trucks, there is rarely a thought given to the fact that our means of transportation weren’t always so safe and convenient. Here are just a few automotive inventions designed by African Americans that we now take for granted.

U.S. Patent No. 1,475,024

On November 20, 1923, Garrett A. Morgan received a u.s. patent for his early design of the traffic signal. After witnessing an accident between a horse-drawn carriage and an automobile, Morgan was inspired to do something to improve safety on the road. While drivers today often curse red lights for slowing them down, this seemingly simple invention provides roadways with much needed safety and organization.

U.S. Patent No. 2,475,841

 In 1949, Frederick M. Jones made life on and off the road a little easier with his design for the first mechanical refrigeration system for trucks. Though this invention isn’t directly used by the average driver, almost everyone benefits from it. It is the reason why many of our groceries don’t go bad as they are transported around the country

U.S. Patent No. 1,889,814

 Richard B. Spikes envisioned a smoother automobile ride, and so he set to work on an improved automatic gear shift. Between 1932 and 1933, he was granted patents for his designs, which included a clutch mechanism that used levers to shift the gears.

U.S. Patent No. 3,015,522

Three decades later, Richard Spikes made another significant contribution to the development of automobiles. On January 2, 1962, he was granted a patent for his design of an automatic safety brake system. More impressive was while developing the system, Spikes was losing his vision. In order to complete his project, he created a drafting machine for blind designers.

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