Jan Matzeliger (1852-1889) revolutionized the shoemaking industry with his invention of the lasting machine. This invention reduced the cost of manufacturing shoes by one-half. He is remembered for his persistence and optimism in the face of prejudice and ill health.

Jan Ernst Matzeliger was born on the northern coast of South America in Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana (now the Republic of Suriname) on September 15, 1852. He was the son of a Dutch engineer in charge of government machine shops and a Surinamese black woman, who was a slave. In 1855, Matzeliger went to live with his paternal aunt. At the age of ten, he was apprenticed in the machine shops run by his father, where Matzeliger developed an interest in machinery and mechanics. At 19, he went to sea on an East Indian merchant ship. When the ship docked in Philadelphia, Matzeliger decided to take up residence in the town. He worked...