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Garrett Morgan Facts & Worksheets

Garrett Morgan was known as the inventor of the safety hood, an early gas mask, which was named after him, called the Morgan Safety Hood.

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Garrett Morgan was known as the inventor of the safety hood, an early gas mask, which was named after him, called the Morgan Safety Hood. He also gained credit for his invention of mechanical traffic signals.

See the fact file below for more information on the Garrett Morgan or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Garrett Morgan worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY YEARS

  • Garrett Morgan was born on March 4, 1877 in Claysville, Kentucky. He was the seventh of eleven children of Sidney Morgan and Elizabeth Reed.
  • The young Morgan’s childhood was mainly spent working on their family farm after attending school. Then, he left Kentucky during his teens and moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, hoping to find better opportunities.
  • He finished his education up to sixth grade, but continued to pursue it and hired a tutor to teach him, particularly English grammar.
  • Morgan moved to Cleveland in 1895 to work as a clothing manufacturer’s sewing machine repairman. He was able to explore his work and learned as much as he could.
  • His explorations in his work and his proficiency gave him opportunities to work for many manufacturing firms.
  • In 1907, Morgan created his very first business, a sewing equipment and repair shop which he was able to expand two years after establishing. He added a tailoring shop and hired thirty-two employees.
  • He then was able to produce clothing which was sewn using the sewing equipment he himself had made.

INVENTION OF THE EARLY GAS MASK

  • In 1914, Morgan invented an early gas mask called Safety Hood and Smoke Protector.
  • He manufactured multiple numbers of the mask and had it sold in and out of the country with a marketing strategy avoiding what is known as “anonymity by dissociation” or the Jim Crow discrimination.
  • During that time, inventors needed to perform live demonstrations to market their products. Morgan joined this and used the fire department’s company.
  • Morgan hired personnel, such as public safety professionals, to do the demonstration.
  • He also used white models to advertise the safety hood. Morgan’s gas mask gained fame and New York City used it. Later, five hundred other cities adopted it too.
  • The safety hood gathered attention at the International Exposition of Sanitation and Safety as its refined model was awarded a gold medal at the event.
  • Another gold medal was awarded by the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

DISASTER IN THE CLEVELAND TUNNEL

  • Six disasters occurred in the Cleveland Tunnel. Five of these were due to its construction while the sixth was an explosion caused by hitting a pocket of natural gas when digging.
  • The explosion killed 10 rescuers who were instantly covered by smoke as soon as they entered the tunnel.
  • Morgan and his safety hood became the savior of the disaster’s direct victims.
  • Together with his brother and two others, Morgan entered the exploded tunnel wearing his invented gas mask and they were able to bring out two people alive and recover four dead bodies.
  • Aside from the heroic acts, the event served as an advertisement for the safety hood.
  • Morgan’s company received several additional requests mainly from the fire departments of the neighboring cities but these were immediately canceled after they found out he was black.
  • An institution even told Morgan that he shouldn’t receive the “Hero” award, claiming he only helped because he knew he would be safe when he protested after the award was given to a white person.

OTHER INVENTIONS

  • Morgan did not stop experimenting after inventing something. He always sought to make new discoveries.
  • One of his most famous inventions is the traffic signal (1923) which put him at the peak of his career.
  • Other inventions were the zig-zag stitching mechanism, hair dyeing ointments and carved-tooth pressing comb.

Garrett Morgan Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Garrett Morgan across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Garrett Morgan worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Garrett Morgan who was known as the inventor of the safety hood, an early gas mask, which was named after him, called the Morgan Safety Hood. He also gained credit for his invention of mechanical traffic signals.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Garrett Morgan Facts
  • Timeline Zipper
  • Guess the Word
  • What’s that Invention?
  • Gas Mask
  • Sewing Materials
  • Crossword Puzzle
  • Traffic Light
  • Traffic Signs
  • Black Edison
  • Your Own Invention

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Use With Any Curriculum

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