Thaddeus Hyatt

Thaddeus Hyatt was an American abolitionist and inventor. In his opposition to slavery, Hyatt organized the efforts of abolitionists in Kansas to have the territory admitted to the Union as a free-state and campaigned for the federal government to aid Kansans afflicted by drought. Hyatt befriended John Brown and provided Brown with financial support; following the raid on Harpers Ferry, Hyatt was investigated by a committee of the United States Senate. When Hyatt refused to comply with a Congressional subpoena and cooperate with the Senate investigation, the Senate voted to jail the recalcitrant abolitionist. As an inventor, Hyatt was a wealthy man, profiting from his invention of iron-and-glass vault covers for admitting sunlight to spaces below sidewalks and pavements. Hyatt also innovated and patented several designs for reinforced concrete floors.