William Woodworth (inventor)

[2] Hailed as the greatest improvement to the planing machine so far and one of the most important inventions of the century, it added speed and efficiency to the process of creating lumber for domestic usage.

[3][4] The invention could perform the output of 25 laborers, cheapened finished lumber, and greatly increased the supply.

Because Woodworth and his heirs repeatedly attempted, and succeeded many times in having the patent extended by Congress, it was attacked politically as a monopoly.

Woodworth's heirs were subjected to one of the earlier special interest, community organizing campaigns in the country, as lumber merchants and carpenters, growing tired of paying a royalty to Woodworth's heirs, mounted a public campaign to have the extension of the patent blocked.

[7] The Patent Law of 1836 allowed for inventors to receive a seven-year extension after the expiration of the 14-year term permitted at that time.

[9] The city leadership of Philadelphia organized a mass meeting rallying support against Woodworth's heirs.

Literature from Philadelphia against the patent extension showed up in Harrisburg, in which the State Assembly demanded their federal representatives block Woodworth's attempt.

It was noted that much of the anti-Woodworth literature was printed, rather than written, indicating an orchestrated community organizing effort to block Congressional legislation extending the patent.