Thomas Blanchard (June 24, 1788 – April 16, 1864) was an American inventor who lived much of his life in Springfield, Massachusetts, where in 1819, he pioneered the assembly line style of mass production in America, and also invented the first machining lathe for interchangeable parts.

In 1825, Blanchard also invented America's first car, which he called a "horseless carriage," powered by steam.

[5] Blanchard then turned his attention to gun barrels, and invented a machine tool that streamlined the process of their manufacture.

[4] He also developed a copying lathe that traced a model to turn gun stocks, producing the desired contour automatically (1818).

[7][8] Turning his attention to transportation, Blanchard invented a "steam wagon" before the introduction of railroads in the United States,[9] and in 1831 created a powerful upriver steamboat that was used on the Connecticut River and the West, both of which he invented and patented in Springfield, Massachusetts.