01/11/2025
🧵 *The Sewing Machine War: How Riots, Rivalries & Invention Transformed the World*
Before it stitched its way into homes and empowered women to earn a living, the *sewing machine* sparked chaos — *riots, betrayal, and courtroom wars.*
👔 In *1830*, French tailor *Barthelemy Thimonnier* built the first functional machine — but angry tailors *burned down his factory*, terrified it would take their jobs.
🇺🇸 Across the Atlantic, *Elias Howe* patented a better version in *1846*, but was so broke his wife worked to bring him back from England. While he struggled, *Isaac Singer* — a savvy showman — made improvements and built a booming business.
💥 This ignited the infamous *"Sewing Machine War"* — a brutal patent battle. Howe sued and won millions. In *1856*, they finally formed the *first patent pool* in U.S. history — sharing rights and profits.
🏠 The result? A revolution:
• Sewing time dropped from *14 hours to just 1hour*
• Women gained tools for *financial independence*
• Homes & economies were transformed forever
From ashes to industry, the sewing machine wasn’t just an invention — it was a fight for the future.