Morgans handcranked semaphore traffic management device was in use throughout north america until all manual traffic signals were replaced by the automatic red, yellow, and greenlight traffic signals currently used around the world. As part of black history month, we remember garrett augustus morgan, a cleveland inventor and businessman best known for creating the modernday gas mask and traffic light. Profiles the man responsible for inventing the traffic light and gas mask, both very important elements for safety. Great ideas series great idea series kulling, monica, parkins, david on. Garrett morgan 18771963 morgan saved lives by inventing an early version of the gas mask and a new form of traffic signal.
Garrett morgan inventor of the traffic light and gas mask book. He is one of many cleveland leaders during the past 175 years. You can trace the modern traffic light back to cleveland, ohio, and the son of two freed slaves. Garrett morgan invented the first automatic threeway traffic signal system, which he eventually sold to general electric. Garrett morgan, inventor of one of the first traffic. Published on may 12, 2018 garrett morgan and the traffic signal in the 1920s, the streets were getting very busy. Garrett morgan and the traffic signal tells about the problems of buggy and car drivers in the 1920s and one mans plan to help keep the streets safe.
We also recount his heroic rescue of several lives from a collapsed tunnel in cleveland. Garrett morgan leveled book j and the traffic signal. Several jobs at textile factories inspired his interest in machines and how they work. On november 20, 1923 morgan was awarded a patent for a threeposition traffic signal. Morgan, an africanamerican inventor who moved to cleveland as a teen, gets credit for the modern traffic light. After witnessing a collision between an automobile and a horsedrawn carriage, morgan was convinced that something should be done to improve traffic safety. Patricia j murphy profiles the man responsible for inventing the traffic light. No, he did not invent the gas lamp traffic signals. Armed with nothing more than an elementary school education and an innate curiosity of how things work, garrett morgan. The traffic signal system was invented nearly a century. Morgan s original traffic signal prototype is on display at the smithsonians american history museum. Inventor of the traffic light and gas mask by patricia j. Garrett morgan patents threeposition traffic signal history. Yellow for prepare to stop or proceed with caution.
The signal morgan patented was a tshaped pole with three settings. In this video we discuss several of his innovations and inventions. Invention of the traffic light by garrett morgan was in. Biography of garrett morgan, inventor of the gas mask. The traffic signal system was invented nearly a century ago by garrett morgan dec 17, 2016 goran blazeski garrett augustus morgan was born on march 4, 1877, in paris, kentucky. Morgan was the successful inventor of several safety devices including a forerunner of the gas mask and the 3way traffic signal.
On this date, in, we mark the birth of garrett augustus morgan. Garrett morgan and the traffic signal in the 1920s, the streets were getting very busy. Morgan quickly acquired patents for his traffic signala rudimentary version of the modern threeway traffic lightin the united states, britain and canada, but eventually. Garrett morgan, the son of slaves, looked out his cleveland window at bumpertobumper traffic which was crisscrossing the city, forming a gridlock in 1923. Garrett morgan invented the threelight traffic light that we are accustomed to today. The inventor sold the rights to his traffic signal. At night, when traffic was light, it could be set at halfmast like a blinking yellow light today, warning drivers to proceed. His parents, sydney and elizabeth morgan, were former slaves.