Jan Ernst Matzeliger was an inventor of Surinamese and Dutch origins best known for patenting the shoe fitting machine, which made footwear more convenient (biography.com). His invention made necessary tasks such as shoemaking easier to accomplish; In the late 1800s it also made it easier for ordinary people to buy shoes. Jan Ernst Matzeliger was born on September 15, 1852 in Paramaribo, Suriname, then known as Dutch Guiana. Matzeliger's father was a Dutch engineer and his mother was from Suriname. Demonstrating mechanical aptitude at a young age, Matzeliger began working in machine shops under the supervision of his father at the age of 10. At 19 he left Suriname to see the world as a sailor on an East Indian merchant ship. In 1873 he settled in Philadelphia (www.biography.com). After settling in the United States he spoke very little English; and for several years he dedicated himself to learning the English language. Matzeliger had many mechanical skills, however, as a black man in the 1870s, his professional opportunities were limited. In 1877 Matzeliger moved to Massachusetts where he found ...