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General Science, Mathematics, and Technology

Introduction

When was the first patent issued in the United States?

The first U.S. patent was granted on July 31, 1790 to Samuel Hopkins (1743–1818) of Philadelphia for making “pot ash and pearl ash”—a cleaning formula called potash. It was a key ingredient for making glass, dyeing fabrics, baking, making saltpeter for gun powder, and most importantly for making soap.



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