Margaret Knight: Paper Bag Machine
Margaret Knight was a force to be reckoned with in the world of invention. In 1871 Knight was working at a paper bag plant in Massachusetts. Finding that she was packing things with great difficulty, she had a stroke of genius and invented a paper-bag-making machine that made the bottoms flat.
Just before she could make a name for herself, it was stolen by a man who claimed that it was impossible for a woman to have created it. Despite this setback, Knight persisted and eventually received a patent for her invention.