“An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red."
Albert Schweitzer, Alsatian philosopher
Henry Ford opened his first factory in America in 1903 and, with horse-drawn carts, pedestrians, bicycles, and cars sharing the treacherous and largely unlegislated roads, accidents were frequent. Garrett Morgan (1877-1963), an African-American inventor, was inspired to design the traffic signal after witnessing a horrific crash 'between a horse-drawn carriage and a motor .car. The invention was an indication of Morgan's perceptiveness; long before automobiles were as prevalent on the roads as they are today, he had the foresight to predict a problem and engineer a solution. It is a testament to his design that the signals are still in use today.
Morgan came from humble roots. The son of a former slave, his formal education ended after elementary school, but his natural talent for fixing and inventing soon earned himself a reputation as a master repairer, and he was quickly offered contracts around Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to the traffic signal, Morgan also invented the gas mask, a zigzag attachment for sewing machines, and a straightening comb for hair. He also published a newspaper for the black community called the Cleveland Call and stood as a candidate for the City of Cleveland government.
Morgan's traffic signal consisted of three arms in a T-shape, with hand-cranked "STOP" and "GO" signals. It could be alternated to stop traffic from single or multiple directions, allowing pedestrians to cross the road safely as well as preventing accidents and saving lives. The invention was patented in 1923, and Morgan eventually sold the rights to his traffic signal to the General Electric Company for $40,000.
