Norbert Rillieux Essay

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1 Norbert Rillieux Norbert Rillieux was born on March 16. 1806, on a New Orleans plantation. His father Vincent Rillieux was the owner of the plantation, he also was a wealthy engineer. Rillieux mother Constance Vivant was a slave in the plantation. Rillieux was born in a world of free color people, but some were still enslaved. At that time schools were still racial and some did not accept free or enslaved Negroes. Life as a colored person was hard at that time no matter if they were free or enslaved. But Rillieux experience was unlike that of other Negros ,because of his father position and wealth, got him higher and farther than other Negros at that time.(Black Pioneers of Science & Inventions, Haber, pg 13-15) Rillieux at a young age asked a lot of questions about the machines around the plantations and how they worked. His father as an engineer and inventor of the steam-operation cotton-bailing press, was really proud of his son and wanted to send him to receive the best education he could get. Because of the color difference the best school in New Orleans did not accept him,but that didn't stop Rillieux father. First because Rillieux was baptize as a catholic he went to catholic schools and study for his early age. Then, Rillieux father send him to Paris best school (L'Ecole) were there were no racial restrictions, to study engineering. On Paris in L'Ecole the school he was attending he turned out to be a brilliant student, he showed an extraordinary skill on engineering, making his dad really proud. At the age of twenty-four he became a instructor of applied mechanics on the same school he studied in, also making him the youngest teacher there. Then in 1830 he published a series of papers on steam-engine work and steam economy that created favorable attention in scientific circle all over Europe. He also developed the theory of

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