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Benjamin Banneker Born free in Baltimore County, Maryland, in 1731, Benjamin Banneker, the son of a former slave, was one of the most remarkable figures of 18th century America. His extraordinary mechanical and mathematical aptitude enabled him to become one of America's earliest scientific pioneers, and he stood as living contradiction to the theory of black intellectual inferiority, which was rampant in his day. Although Banneker did not study astronomy until he was nearly forty, he quickly mastered the subject and published six almanacs between the years 1792 and 1797 in twenty-eight editions. Hoping to convince Thomas Jefferson of the fallacy of Jefferson's opinion on the intellectual inferiority of blacks, Banneker sent him a copy of his manuscript of his first almanac along with a letter that very skillfully admonished Jefferson for his theory on black intelligence. While history tells us that Jefferson was never totally convinced by Banneker's argument, he was, nonetheless, impressed with Banneker's work. In a gesture of generosity, and perhaps even American pride, Jefferson forwarded the manuscript to the Secretary of the Academy of Science in Paris, telling Banneker he did so, "because I considered it as a document to which your whole colour had a right for their justification against the doubts which have been entertained to them."
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The Transatlantic Slave Trade Quiz | Resources
| Sponsors | Home Age of Exploration Make some discoveries of your own in this guide to 1000 years of maritime exploration. learn more USS Monitor: History and Legacy This Civil War ironclad was a technological marvel; explore her continuing story. learn more Chesapeake Bay: Our History and Our Future From the Powhatan Indians to modern shipbuilding, explore the character of the nation's largest estuary. learn more Captive Passage: The Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Making of the Americas They arrived in chains, but their contributions have forged new links in the history of the Americas. learn more Battle of the Atlantic: Allied Naval Intelligence in World War II While German U-boats wrecked havoc on merchant shipping in the Atlantic, Allied intelligence worked diligently to break the enemy's communication codes. learn more Birth of the Navy Follow the US on its journey to becoming the world's leading naval power. learn more Women and the Sea She used to remain on shore, but today, she captains the ship. learn more ![[ Navigation Bar ]](../../resources/navigation.gif){kind=small}
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