The exceptional life of benjamin banneker

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. A free Black man who owned a farm near Baltimore, Benjamin Banneker was largely self-educated in astronomy and mathematics.

Born in to freed slaves on a farm in Baltimore, Benjamin Banneker was obsessed with math and science.

The 18 th century intellectual used his knowledge to create a series of almanacs in the s. He also helped survey territory for the construction of the American capital city, Washington D. An early civil rights advocate , Banneker exchanged letters with Thomas Jefferson , politely challenging the then-Secretary of State to do what he could to ensure racial equality.

Banneker died at age 74 in October He was the son of an ex-slave named Robert and his wife, Mary Banneky. Mary was the daughter of an Englishwoman named Molly Welsh, a former indentured servant, and her husband, Bannka, an ex-slave whom she freed and who asserted that he came from tribal royalty in West Africa.

View full lesson: Born in to formerly.

Because both of his parents were free, Benjamin escaped the wrath of slavery as well. He was taught to read by his maternal grandmother and, for a very short time, attended a small Quaker school. Primarily, Banneker was self-educated. He taught himself astronomy and accurately forecasted lunar and solar eclipses. One of his early accomplishments was constructing an irrigation system for the family farm.

In , Banneker was inspired to build his own clock after receiving a watch from an acquaintance. Banneker deconstructed the watch to examine its components and how they worked.