Benjamin Banneker was a free Black man from Maryland who taught himself mathematics and astronomy.
He helped survey the boundaries of the new District of Columbia in 1791 and published popular almanacs. He wrote to Thomas Jefferson urging an end to slavery.
Key Facts
- Lived: 1731 to 1806
- Built a wooden striking clock as a young man
- Helped survey the District of Columbia in 1791
- Published almanacs from 1792 to 1797
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