Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826) [Patent for Edward West's improvement, being a machine for cutting and heading nails]
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06238 Author/Creator: Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Document signed Date: 6 July 1802 Pagination: 2 p. ; 36.1 x 29.6 cm. Order a Copy
Signed by Thomas Jefferson as President. Countersigned by James Madison as Secretary of State and Levi Lincoln as Attorney General. West's written description of his invention is signed by Andrew Holmes and Lewis Sanders as witnesses. Contains a paper seal and faded white ribbon. Several unattached ribbon scraps accompany this document.
Edward West, a Lexington, Kentucky watchmaker and silversmith, also patented a steam engine and a gun lock. His nail-cutting and heading machine was the first of its kind, and West is said to have been paid $10,000 for what was, at the time, an important innovation.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.