How Charles Goodyear’s Relentless Pursuit Transformed Rubber and the World
The man behind one of history’s most transformative inventions died burdened by debt.
Charles Goodyear’s story is fascinating because of how relentlessly he looked for the solution to a problem. The more I read about Goodyear, the more I think about his circumstances at the time of his death. Did he accomplish what he set out to because he somehow already knew what an impact his discovery would have? He never profited from his discovery, but somehow he must have known all along what it would become. Why else would anyone work so hard at something?
In the 1830s, rubber was gaining popularity, but it had limits. Too hot, and it was sticky. When exposed to cold temperatures, rubber was brittle. Not to mention, rubber had a foul smell. This was before Charles Goodyear discovered vulcanization, making rubber stronger, more elastic, and heat-resistant. Waterproof shoes and jackets were innovations that rubber made possible before Goodyear’s discovery, but rubber was far from being durable enough for much else. As if he knew how important his future discovery would be, Goodyear spent years searching for a solution.
There is an excellent discussion, “Burning Rubber In Mass.: The Obsession That Changed The World,” by Edgar B. Herwick III with author Charlie Slack, which discusses Goodyear’s proposal to a New York shop owner which helped inspire his pursuit to improve rubber. Goodyear thought his improved life preserver valve, which he presented to the shop owner, was a great idea. Instead, the owner challenged him to improve rubber.
It would take five years before Goodyear discovered vulcanization, putting his family in debt to finance his experiments. He was working at Eagle India Rubber Company when he made the discovery. Goodyear went to work, unaware that he would find his solution that day. He accidentally mixed rubber and sulfur and discovered that raising the heat hardened the rubber.
He filed the U.S. Patent for his discovery on June 15, 1844. Enforcing it was a struggle. Goodyear did not profit from his discovery, and fighting patent infringement left him with more debt because of legal fees. Nearly 40 years after his death, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded, though it lacked any direct connection to Charles Goodyear, its name serving only as a tribute. Goodyear’s discovery created endless possibilities for industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and automotive.
He died with $200,000 in debt, but his discovery is now a legacy. How he knew that rubber had so much potential is something only Goodyear could understand. For every person wired to solve a specific problem and who succeeds, many likely fail. When costs are high and there is no guarantee, do you keep working on the same problem or do you look for a new one? For some people, it feels impossible to give up no matter what. We are fortunate that Goodyear was the type to never give up.
Works Cited
Herwick, E. B. III. (2014, June 27). Burning Rubber In Mass.: The Obsession That Changed The World [Audio]. Retrieved from https://www.wgbh.org/
Slack, C. (n.d.). Author quotes in Herwick's work, "Burning Rubber In Mass."
Charles Goodyear | Rubber, Vulcanization, Inventor. (n.d.). In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from Charles Goodyear | Rubber, Vulcanization, Inventor | Britannica
Raincoat - Wikipedia. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raincoat
Charles Goodyear Receives Patent for Vulcanized Rubber. (n.d.). Retrieved from Charles Goodyear Receives Patent for Vulcanized Rubber