Nati(yual Scientific and Ediicadoial Tnstitutioiis. 279 



it seems to have been supposed that the bill itself creating it proceeded 

 from his own suggestion. But by a comparison of dates this appears 

 hardly possible. Jefferson returned from Europe to Norfolk and Monti- 

 cello toward the end of 1789, his mind deeply occupied with the stirring 

 movements of revolution abroad. During the winter months he was 

 debating whether he should accept the charge of the State Department, 

 offered him by Washington; making his wa}^ by slow stages from Vir- 

 ginia to New York; receiving innumeral:)le ovations; paying his last visit 

 to the dying Franklin, and he only reached the seat of government 

 March 21, when the legislative work on this act was practically finished. 

 More than to any other individual, probably, the American patent system 

 looks for its origin to the Father of the Country.' 



Jefferson took great pride in it, and gave personal consideration to 

 every application that was made for patents during the years between 1790 

 and 1793, while the power of revision and rejection granted b}' that act 

 remained in force. It is a matter of tradition, handed down to us from 

 generation to generation, that when an application for a patent was 

 made he would summon Mr. Henry Knox, of Massachusetts, who was 

 Secretarj' of War, and Mr. Edmund Randolph, of Virginia, who was 

 Attorney-General, these officials being designated by the act, with the 

 Secretary of State, a tribunal to examine and grant patents; and that 

 these three distinguished officials would examine the application critic- 

 ally, scrutinizing each point of the specification and claims carefully and 

 vigoroush'. The result of this examination was that, during the first 

 year, a majority of the applications failed to pass the ordeal, and only three 

 patents were granted. Every step in the issuing of a patent was taken 

 with great care and caution, Mr. Jefi"erson thinking always to impress 

 upon the minds of his officers and the i^ublic that it was a matter of no 

 ordinary importance. 



The subsequent history of the office is very interesting, especially 

 since it contains a record of Mr. Jefferson's vigorous opposition to the 

 change effected by the act of 1793, which, he held, by a i)romiscuous 

 granting of exclusive privileges would lead to the creation of monopoly 

 in the arts and industries, and was against the theory of a ]K)pular gov- 

 ernment, and would be pernicious in its effects. 



In 1S12 a building was put up for the accommodation of the office, 

 but this was destroyed in 1836, and with it most of the records which 

 would be necessary for a proper understanding of the early history of 

 American in\-ention. 



In the Patent Office building, and with it destroyed, there was gath- 

 ered a collection of models, which was sometimes by courtesy called the 

 Americaii Museum of Art, and which afforded a precedent for the 

 larger collection of models and natural products, which remained under 



' The foregoiiiij^ para^a^raphs coiicerninjr the history of the Patent Ofiice were kiiidlv 

 supplied by Mr. Edward Farquhar, for many years its assistant librarian. 



