Name/Lifespan: Samuel Colt (1814-1862)
Background and Early Life
Samuel Colt was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on July 19, 1814 (Biography, 2019). He was one of eight kids of textile producer Christopher Colt and spouse, Sarah Colt. In his early years, Samuel always had a passion for mechanics and would many a time dismantle items to observe how they operate. At sixty-teen years old, Samuel attended- although he was finally dismissed-from Amherst Academy in Massachusetts, where he pursued navigation. He cruised on the Corvo as a mariner, where he first became enthralled with the way the vessel’s wheel functioned. As a result, Samuel made a wheel prototype from wood, which resulted in his creation of a rotation-type gun.
Actions.
Colt's invention of the rotation-type gun advanced the weaponry industry in the United States. The U.S. government in 1845 heard from its front-line war men that Colt's gun was a weapon that did not need constant reloading. Notably, the firearm was vital in triumphing over the Indians in Florida and Texas. In 1855, his company Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company was integrated into Hartford, with offices in London and New York. More importantly, his weapons were the firearms of choice in the America Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, and the company’s .45-caliber Peacemaker, brought in 1873, grew into the most well-known firearm in the West.
Contributions
Samuel Colt created a firearm that fired multiple times, without loading. As a result, he set up a manufacturing plant, Colt's Patent Fire Arms, that advanced manufacturing in the eighteenth century, and as such, established a mass-market (PBS, 2019). Besides, he revolutionized the communication industry by going to invent the first-ever remote-control Naval mine bomb. Colt also assisted Samuel Morse, a telegraph inventor, to run lines beneath the water with his creation of waterproof cables. That notwithstanding, Colt's manufacturing firm is still operational currently in the Hartford region, producing revolvers, pistols, and handguns. The contributions of Samuel Colt has made America what it is today, a superpower that many nations across the globe envy.
Personality.
Samuel Colt was a hard-working individual who did all he could to prosper. For instance, despite his first firearms manufacturing firm flopping in 1836, it did not deter him from starting all over again. In fact, in the same year, Colt's Patent Arms Manufacturing firm opened its new plant in Paterson, New Jersey. However, the firm experienced low sales in Florida and Texas. Without considerable military agreements, the plant closed in 1842. Its inventory and fixtures were auctioned off, leaving Colt in deep debt. In spite of this, he started all over again in 1861, and the company grew to be a well-known firearm company in the West.
Personal Life and Death
Colt married Elizabeth Jarvis in 1856 (Biography, 2019). Colt built her spouse, the luxurious Connecticut home, Armsmear ("meadow of arms"), also known as the Samuel Colt Home, as a gift. Just one of their five kids, Caldwell Colt, made it through infancy. Samuel Colt passed on a wealthy man on 10th January 1862, at forty-seven years, and was laid to rest at Cedar Hill Cemetery.
Sources:
Biography. (2019, May 14). Samuel Colt Biography. Retrieved from Biography: https://www.biography.com/inventor/samuel-colt
PBS. (2019). Who made America. Retrieved from PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/theymadeamerica/whomade/colt_hi.html