Early Life and Education:

• Born to free parents – his father was a former slave and his mother was the daughter of a mixed-race couple
• Grew up on a 100-acre tobacco farm owned by his family
• Received some formal education in a one-room Quaker schoolhouse
• Largely self-educated through voracious reading of borrowed books

Notable Achievements:

1. Wooden Clock: Around age 20, Banneker built a wooden clock that kept precise time, one of the first of its kind in America.
2. Astronomy: Self-taught in astronomy, he accurately predicted a solar eclipse in 1789.
3. Almanacs: Published a series of almanacs from 1792 to 1797, containing his astronomical calculations, literature, and medical and tidal information.
4. Surveying Washington D.C.: In 1791, assisted Andrew Ellicott in surveying the territory for the new capital city of Washington D.C.
5. Correspondence with Thomas Jefferson: In 1791, wrote a letter to then-Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, challenging him on the issue of slavery and racial equality. He included a handwritten copy of his almanac with the letter.

Advocacy:

• Opposed slavery and advocated for civil rights
• His accomplishments were used by abolitionists as evidence of the intellectual capabilities of African Americans

Legacy:

• Became a folk hero after his death, with many accounts of his life being exaggerated
• Many parks, schools, and streets have been named in his honor
• His life story exemplifies the paradox of early American ideals of freedom and opportunity existing alongside racial inequality

Personal Life:

• Never married and had no children
• Lived his entire life on his family farm near Baltimore

Benjamin Banneker’s life and work stand as a testament to intellectual achievement in the face of racial prejudice. His contributions to science, mathematics, and civil rights make him a significant figure in early American history and African-American intellectual tradition.