Before the sewing machine industry got off the ground in the middle of the 19th Century, there was a huge problem, one that would stifle, not only competition, but the birth of true mass production in America. During the 1850's sewing machine manufacture was crippled by a handful of extraordinary characters battling in court for their patent rights. These men, who created the largest fight in American legal history, became known by the periodicals of the day as the Sewing Machine Kings. They were engaged in the Great Sewing Machine Wars using any tactics to win. Here, for the first time, is their remarkable story and their even more remarkable solution.