Biography of Samuel Colt, American Inventor and Industrialist

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Biography of Samuel Colt, American Inventor and Industrialist

Samuel Colt (July 19, 1814–January 10, 1862) was an American inventor, industrialist, and entrepreneur best remembered for perfecting a revolving cylinder mechanism that enabled a gun to be fired multiple times without reloading. Later versions of his legendary Colt revolver pistol, first patented in 1836, played a key role in settling the American West. By advancing the use of interchangeable parts and assembly lines, Colt became one of the wealthiest industrialists of the 19th century.

 

 

 

Fast Facts: Samuel Colt

• Known For: Perfected the Colt revolver pistol, one of the legendary firearms said to have “won the West”
• Born: July 19, 1814 in Hartford, Connecticut
• Parents: Christopher Colt and Sarah Caldwell Colt
• Died: January 10, 1862 in Hartford, Connecticut
• Education: Attended Amherst Academy in Amherst, Massachusetts
• Patents: US Patent: 9,430X: Revolving Gun
• Spouses: Elizabeth Hart Jarvis
• Children: Caldwell Hart Colt

Early Life

Samuel Colt was born on July 19, 1814, in Hartford, Connecticut, to businessman Christopher Colt and Sarah Caldwell Colt. One of young Colt’s earliest and most-prized possessions was a flintlock pistol that had belonged to his maternal grandfather, who had served as an officer in Gen. George Washington’s Continental Army during the American Revolution. At age 11, Colt was sent to Glastonbury, Connecticut, to live and work on the farm of a family friend. While attending grade school in Glastonbury, Colt became fascinated with the “Compendium of Knowledge,” an early encyclopedia. Articles he read on steamboat inventor Robert Fulton and gunpowder would inspire him throughout his life.