Did Boxer Jack Johnson Invent the Wrench? The Truth

The story sounds almost too good to be true: Jack Johnson, the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion, invented the household wrench in 1922. It's been shared countless times on social media, celebrated as an example of Black innovation during a deeply racist era. There's just one problem—it's not true.

But the real story? That's actually more interesting.

What Johnson Actually Did

On April 18, 1922, Jack Johnson did receive U.S. Patent #1,413,121 for a wrench design. This part is absolutely true. He conceived and sketched the tool while serving time at Leavenworth Federal Prison in Kansas, where he'd been imprisoned on racially motivated charges under the Mann Act.

Johnson's patent was for an improvement to existing wrench designs—specifically, a tool to help tighten loosening fastening devices more effectively. His five-page patent, still available through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, shows genuine mechanical innovation.

The Wrench Existed Long Before Johnson

Here's where the myth falls apart. The first wrench was patented by Solymon Merrick of Springfield, Massachusetts, way back in 1835—47 years before Johnson was even born. By the time Johnson filed his patent in 1922, wrenches had been household tools for nearly a century.

Even the famous "monkey wrench" predates Johnson. That particular design is credited to Charles Moncky, a Baltimore mechanic, around 1858. Patent records show tools explicitly called "monkey wrenches" dating to 1880, 1881, 1883, 1891, 1904, and 1912—all before Johnson's patent.

Why This Myth Spread

Johnson was one of the most famous and controversial athletes of his era. The first Black heavyweight champion in a viciously racist America, he lived flamboyantly, dated white women openly, and refused to play by society's rules. His life was so dramatic that it inspired a play and movie, The Great White Hope.

Stories about Johnson naturally get embellished. The truth—that he was an innovative thinker who improved existing technology while in prison—became "he invented the wrench." It's the kind of inspiring narrative people want to share.

What We Should Remember Instead

Jack Johnson doesn't need exaggerated achievements to be remarkable. He became heavyweight champion in 1908 when boxing was America's most popular sport, shattering the color barrier in spectacular fashion. He defended his title against a series of "Great White Hopes" while authorities and media actively worked to destroy him.

His wrench patent shows he was genuinely curious and inventive—qualities that shouldn't be overshadowed by a myth. Johnson was a complex, brilliant, flawed human being who changed sports history. That's the story worth telling.

So no, Jack Johnson didn't invent the household wrench. But he did patent a real improvement to it while imprisoned on racist charges, which is honestly a more fascinating detail than the legend.