Robert Benjamin Lewis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Benjamin Lewis
Portrait by Benjamin F. Nutting published by Pendleton's Lithography circa 1830
Born	1802 Gardiner, Maine, USA
Died	February 1858 Haiti
Occupation	author, ethnologist, inventor, entrepreneur

Robert Benjamin Lewis (born 1802 – died February 1858) was an important African and Native American author. He is best known for writing a book called Light and Truth. He was also a successful businessman, selling things like hair oil. Plus, he was an inventor and held three United States patents.

Robert Lewis's Early Life

Not much is known about Robert Benjamin Lewis's personal life, except for what he wrote. He was born in 1802 in a part of Pittston, Maine, which later became Gardiner. He was likely the oldest son of Matthias Lewis and Lucy (Stockbridge) Lewis.

His Family Background

It is thought that Robert's father, Matthias Lewis, was either a Mohegan from Rhode Island or a Pequot from New London. In 1806, Matthias, who was a sailor, received a special paper called a Seamen's Protection Certificate. This paper described him as having a "colored" complexion.

Robert's mother, Lucy Stockbridge, was the daughter of Isaac Hazard Stockbridge. Isaac was an African man who was taken from his home as a child around 1740. He was bought by a rich doctor named Silvester Gardiner from Boston. Isaac, also known as "Bad Hazard," did not like being enslaved. He tried to escape and cause trouble. Lucy was born in 1769 to Isaac and his wife, Cooper Loring.

Even though Robert's daughter said her grandfather was French and her grandmother Native American, local history says that all the Black people named Lewis in that area came from Isaac Hazard.

His Education and Travels

The Lewis family left Gardiner in 1809. Robert Benjamin Lewis lived in different cities in Maine, including Portland, Augusta, and Hallowell, Maine. After finishing school, he likely became a sailor, which was common then. His daughter said he served in the War of 1812, possibly as a cabin boy on a privateer ship.

Later, Lewis wanted to become a missionary in Africa to share the Gospel. He might have received help from the Maine Missionary Society in Hallowell. This group supported missions and ministers. After he died, people said that the Congregational Church in Hallowell helped him get an education so he could become a missionary. He became very knowledgeable about the Bible and old history.

His Marriages and Children

Robert Lewis was married twice. First, he married Mrs. Wealthia Ann Jones in New York City in 1828. Then, on March 17, 1835, he married Mary Freeman Huston in Boston. Mary was 18 and the daughter of a former enslaved person from Virginia who became a successful farmer. Robert Lewis had three sons and seven daughters from his second marriage.

Some historians also believe that Robert Lewis was the father of Edmonia Lewis, a famous African and Native American sculptor. However, this connection has not been fully proven.

Robert Lewis: Inventor and Businessman

Robert Benjamin Lewis was known as a "jack-of-all-trades," meaning he could do many different jobs. At various times, he worked as a sailor, a ship's cook, a whitewasher, and a day laborer.

His Inventions and Patents

Robert Benjamin Lewis held three United States patents. This was very rare for African American inventors in the 1800s.

• Oakum and Hair Picker: On April 11, 1836, Lewis applied for a patent for a machine that could pick "oakum and hair." Oakum is made from old hemp or jute ropes that have been untwisted. Sailors used oakum to seal the gaps in wooden ships to keep water out. Picking oakum by hand was a very hard and messy job. Lewis's machine used teeth on a spinning cylinder to separate the rope strands. This made the work much easier. He received the patent on June 25, 1836. This "hair picker" machine became very useful in Maine shipyards.

• Feather Renovator: On June 27, 1840, Robert Lewis received a patent for a "Feather Renovator." This machine cleaned and dried feathers using steam. Feathers were often used to decorate clothing, and this invention helped clean them.

• Whitewashing Brush: On February 23, 1841, Lewis received another patent for an improved large brush used for whitewashing. His invention made it easy to replace the bristles when they wore out, saving money.

Lewis' Arabian Hair Oil

Lewis also created and sold a product called "Lewis' Arabian Hair Oil." He advertised it in Maine newspapers in the 1840s. He claimed he learned about this oil from an "ARABIAN." The advertisement said the oil made hair grow long, look healthy, and stay beautiful. It also claimed to prevent hair loss and make hair darker and shiny.

To show how well his hair oil worked, Lewis would display his own long, black, curly hair, which reached his coat collar. He would tell stories about his product's power, pointing to the shiny look of his hair. He earned a good living from selling his hair oil for many years.

Light and Truth: A Groundbreaking Book

In 1836, Robert B. Lewis published his first book, a 176-page work titled Light and Truth. This was the first "history book" about African Americans and Native Americans. It was printed in Portland, Maine. At the end of the book, Lewis said he planned to publish another, larger work.

Expanding Light and Truth

Lewis continued to gather more information. In 1843, he decided to release a much bigger version of Light and Truth, which was 400 pages long. In November 1843, four African American businessmen from Boston bought the rights to this expanded book. They called themselves the "Committee of Colored Gentlemen." By March of the next year, they published the book.

One of the printers, Benjamin F. Roberts, later brought a lawsuit against the city of Boston. He wanted his daughter, Sarah Caroline Roberts, to attend her local school instead of a poorly funded segregated school far away. Although the court case, Roberts v. Boston, sided with the city, Massachusetts outlawed segregated schools five years later.

Later Editions and Impact

Light and Truth was printed two more times. In 1848, the Committee reissued it. In 1851, a "Second Edition" was published. Today, the 1844 edition of Light and Truth has been reprinted twice, making it available in many libraries.

Lewis was an ethnologist, someone who studies different cultures and races. His book Light and Truth was an African American ethnology that strongly spoke out against the idea of white superiority. During Lewis's time, some people believed that non-white races were naturally less capable. Lewis's book showed that these ideas were wrong. He argued that all people come from the same origin.

Since Robert Lewis himself was both African American and Native American, his book also highlighted the shared history and connections between these two groups of people.

Professor John Ernest sees Lewis's work as an early example of "black liberation theology." Lewis believed it was his job to find "light, and truth" in old history, especially truths that had been hidden from people of African descent. He wanted to use "light and knowledge" to end the "darkness" of not knowing. Professor Ernest says Lewis was trying to record history from the perspective of those who faced oppression, without using the ideas of their oppressors.

Robert Lewis's Final Years

After living in Hallowell for almost 20 years, Robert Benjamin Lewis moved his family to Bath, Maine, around 1848. There, he built a small house near the courthouse.

In early 1858, Lewis took a job as a ship's cook and steward on a merchant ship called Philip Larrabee. The ship was headed to Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. When the ship arrived, Lewis became sick. He died sometime in February 1858 and was buried in Haiti.