Draft:Charles Frederick Page: American air flight innovator

• Comment: Lots of other sources - clearly notable: https://www.crt.state.la.us/news?NewsID=769, https://www.fox8live.com/2020/08/25/heart-louisiana-charles-pages-airship/, https://www.theadvocate.com/curious_louisiana/black-pineville-inventors-airship-predated-wright-brothers/article_9cd8ff3a-3ee4-11ef-9c38-07b3fc92053d.html, https://www.aol.com/born-slave-pineville-man-built-100213806.html?guccounter=1, https://eu.thetowntalk.com/story/news/local/2024/02/27/pineville-man-born-a-slave-built-an-airship-in-1890s/72708263007/, https://lincolnparishjournal.com/2024/07/09/pioneer-skies-opens-at-new-orleans-airport/ KylieTastic (talk) 12:44, 3 September 2024 (UTC)

• Comment: completely non neutral. This is written like a news article not an encyclopedic one KylieTastic (talk) 12:01, 3 September 2024 (UTC)

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Charles Frederick Page (1864 - November 18, 1937) designed and built an airship. He was the first person in the United States to get a patent for an aircraft.

Page was born into slavery in 1864, and taught himself to read and write.

When he came of age, Page studied aviation on his own, and eventually was grated his patent for an airship April 10, 1906 just beating the Wright Brothers patent that was granted May 22, 1906.

According to the Louisiana State Legestlator article in "The Town Talk", The Louisiana State Museum and the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum Advisory Board will unveil a new exhibition, Pioneer Skies: From Freedom to Flight, the History of Charles Frederick Page, at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Level 1, behind the Jazz Garden Stage near Baggage Claim on Wednesday July 3 at 11:00 a.m. The exhibition will run from July 3, through September 30, 2024, with a satellite component at the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum Inaugural Experience, located at Hall A entrance of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

A Historical marker in his honor has been unveiled in Pineville, the city where Page lived and made his invention. This landmark is a tangible reminder of Page's contributions and symbolizes a broader movement to rectify historical oversights.

The early years of Page's life were marked by the harsh realities of bondage, where learning opportunities were virtually nonexistent for African Americans. Page demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to self-improvement and education despite these formidable barriers.

In an era when teaching enslaved people to read and write was often prohibited and could even be punished by law, Page's pursuit of literacy was a radical act of defiance. He taught himself to read and write, a remarkable achievement considering the systemic efforts to keep people of African descent in a state of enforced ignorance. This self-education was not merely an academic endeavor; it was a powerful tool for resistance and empowerment in the face of oppressive racial policies.

Charles Frederick Page's inspiration for his airship invention came from observing the flight of dragonflies. His family recounts that he would spend hours watching these insects, fascinated by their flight dynamics. This observation led him to conceptualize and eventually build an airship around 1903, coinciding with the Wright Brothers' developments in aviation. Page's innovative approach to flight was rooted in the natural world, reflecting a keen sense of observation and creativity.

Page died November 18, 1937 at his home in Alexandria, Louisiana. He was survived by his wife Ida and eleven children.

External links

• Charles Frederick Page: American air flight innovator at Find a Grave

Category:1864 births Category:1937 deaths Category:Transport pioneers Category:African-American inventors Category:People from Alexandria, Louisiana