Benjamin Banneker Accomplishments

Words: 445
Pages: 2
Open Document
Benjamin Banneker was born on November 9, 1731 in Ellicott’s Mill, Maryland. A free black man who owned a farm new Baltimore he was highly self-educated in astronomy and mathematics. He also became an active writer of almanacs and exchanged letters with Thomas Jefferson politely challenging him to do what he could to ensure racial equality. He was a son of an ex-slave name Robert and his wife Mary. Because both of his parents was free he got away from the wrath of slavery. Banneker’s childhood was not average at all. Banneker early accomplishments was constructing an irrigation system for the family farm. He even made a wooden clock that was reputed to keep accurate time. The clock ran for more than 50 years until it was it time to die. Banneker taught himself astronomy and accurately forecasted lunar and solar eclipses. After his father died he ran the farm for years selling tobacco via crops. Banneker’s talents and intelligence eventually came to the attention of the …show more content…
By 1797 sales pf his almanac had declined and he discontinued publication. In the years following he sold off much of his farm to the Ellicott’s and others to make ends meet continuing living in his log cabin. He was a caring man who always wanted to give. Then there was his time his time to go. On October 9, 1806, after his usual morning walk Banneker died in his sleep just a month short of his 75th birthday. In accordance with his wishes all the items that had been on loan from his neighbor George Ellicott, were returned by Banneker’s nephew. On Tuesday, October 11 at the family burial ground a few yards from this house, Benjamin Banneker was laid to rest. Benjamin Banneker’s life was remembered in an obituary in the Federal Gazette of Philadelphia and has continued to be written about over the ensuing two centuries. I pick this man because he was black and wanted to do something with his
Show More

Related Documents: Benjamin Banneker Accomplishments

Benjamin Banneker's Major Accomplishments

1731, in ellicott mills, maryland. He was a free black man who owned a farm by baltimore. Benjamin banneker saw astronomical patterns from which he could make calculations and predictions. His early life he was taught himself literature, history and mathematics by himself. Largely self-taught, Benjamin Banneker was some of the first African Americans to gain distinction in science. His five major accomplishments were he was the one who predicted the solar eclipse in 1789. He standed against slavery…

Words 183 - Pages 1

Arturo Alfonso Schomburg Essay

collecting books, letters, art, music and other writings from the African diaspora in order to shed light on the accomplishments of people of African descent. This included more than three-thousand compositions, five-thousand books, two-thousand portraits and etchings, and a few thousand leaflets with relics such as signed compositions of Phillis Wheatley's verse, a few almanacs from Benjamin Banneker, letters of Toussaint L'Ouverture, and more. He amassed over ten-thousand items that served to be a useful…

Words 590 - Pages 3

Do Schools Kill Creativity Essay

Lindsey Claire Galt Dr. Lee March American Government October 3, 2012 Do Schools Kill Creativity? If you search almost anywhere on the internet about creativity and public schools you will run into a video by a man named Sir Ken Robinson. He emphasizes that schools kill creativity in every way. On the other hand, President Barack Obama disagrees whole heartedly. Both of these men agree that creativity is important to children and schools but they disagree on whether or not creativity is being…

Words 3649 - Pages 15