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Benjamin Banneker was born November 9, 1731 and is well
known for his work in astronomy.
One of Banneker's greatest projects was being an integral part of the
surveying of Washington D.C.
While he made many contributions to science, he got a late
start on his science education.
Even though he did go to high school, Banneker did not buy his first
book until he was 32: the Bible.
As an adult he befriended the Ellicott brothers Ben and George who would
help him learn about astronomy. He
educated himself reading astronomy books leant to him by the Ellicott
brothers. His knowledge of
astronomy and using it to predict the behaviors of the seasons helped him write
many almanacs as well as astronomical journals. His calculations predicted solar and lunar eclipses. He was also talented at celestial
navigation which his skills helped him survey Washington D.C. before Maryland
and Virginia ceded the land to the federal government of the United States.
Banneker's almanacs did not just outline the seasons and movement
of the sun and moon; some contained his view on slavery. In addition to writing these views into
some of his almanacs, he also exchanged letters with Thomas Jefferson about
slavery. Jefferson politely
responded though he wasn't completely sold in the idea of an America without
slavery though he did offer to send Banneker's almanac to the Academy of
Sciences in Paris.
The last almanac of Banneker's was published in 1797, and he
died in 1806. Today people can
visit a obelisk monument near Banneker's unmarked grave in a churchyard in
Oella, Maryland.
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