name spouse known_for article_title citizenship
emily goss davenport thomas davenport inventing the electric motor emily davenport
 american
emily davenport

emily goss davenport was an inventor from vermont , united states .
emily , with her husband thomas davenport , invented an electric motor and electric locomotive circa 1834 .
throughout the process of invention , emily kept detailed notes and actively contributed to the process .
needing to insulate the motor 's iron core , davenport cut her wedding dress into strips of silk to insulate the wire windings .
she is also credited with the idea of using mercury as a conductor , enabling the motor to function for the first time .
