Jackson Creek Middle School
American Heroes: Benjamin Banneker
Important Facts
Benjamin Banneker was born on November 9, 1731. He lived in the British colony of Maryland. His original name was Bannaky. His schoolmaster made him change his name to Banneker. Benjamin had three younger sisters.
Benjamin Banneker's grandfather, Banneky, was a slave captured from Africa. His grandmother, Molly Welsh, was an indentured servant from England. His grandparents were one of the first interracial marriages. In 1681, laws were past which forbade interracial marriages. Because of this and other reasons, his grandparents lived a very quiet life on a small tobacco farm. They had four girls. Benjamin's mother was the oldest daughter, Mary. She married a free black named Robert. Robert had been a slave who was later freed. When Mary and Robert married, Robert took her last name of Banneky.
Even though he lived in a time when it wasn't easy for African-Americans to be living, Molly taught Benjamin to read and write. He enjoyed mathematics and solving problems. After exhausting his grandmother's teaching skills, he was sent to one of the first integrated schools. Eventually, he taught himself about astronomy and advanced mathematics. He would borrow books from his neighbors and friends. His close friends, the Ellicot brothers, lent him most of their books.
Benjamin Banneker was left to run the family tobacco farm after his parents died. His three sisters had married and moved away. Still a young man when he inherited the 100 acre farm, he mostly worked on the farm growing tobacco and some other crops by himself with the exception of a few visitors every now and then.
Benjamin built a "work cabin" with a skylight in it in order to study the stars at night. This was not typical for most farmers in those times (and really still isn't today). He did not actually start the study of astronomy until he was 58. He soon started predicting the future solar and lunar eclipses. Benjamin started compiling information tables for his annual almanacs that were published from 1792-1797. He studied and recorded these results until the day he died. The almanac was a best selling from Pennsylvania to Virginia and even to Kentucky. He was forced to stop publishing his Almanac due to lack of sales.
In 1791, Benjamin became an assistant in the survey of the District of Columbia. His friend George Ellicot recommended Benjamin for the position. His work with the surveying increased his skills in astronomy.
For many years Benjamin Banneker was referred to as "the first Negro Man of Science". One time Benjamin borrowed his neighbors watch. He disassembled it and made sketches of all the parts inside. The watch was returned to his neighbors in perfect condition. They couldn't even tell that it was taken apart. Then, Benjamin carved out enlarged replicas of the parts inside. He made his own (much bigger) watch. It worked for over 50 years.
In 1806, Benjamin Banneker died on October 9 in his small cabin.
By: Jake H.
Last updated: 12/14/01
