Science, inventions & engineering
Jan Ernst Matzeliger
1852–1889
Massachusetts connection
Lynn
Matzeliger moved from Suriname to the United States and worked in Lynn’s shoe industry. He invented a machine that joined the upper part of a shoe to its sole. The machine helped speed production. His story connects immigration, skilled work, invention, and the everyday things people wear.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Your turn, historian
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- What problem did this person investigate? Who else helped make progress?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Jan Ernst Matzeliger mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: National Inventors Hall of Fame ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?