Benjamin Banneker, who was also known as the “First African-American Man of Science,” was born in Ellicott’s Mills, Maryland on his parents’ farm near Baltimore on November 9, 1731. His father was a former slave of Guinea and his mother was a free black, so he was able to avoid being enslaved. He was raised on this farm along with his three sisters. As a child, he grew tobacco and was taught to read by his maternal grandmother. Banneker’s father died when he was in his late 20’s, so he was left to tend to the farm and care for his family. For a short time during his childhood, he attended a small Quaker school, however most of his education was self-taught. He educated himself on mathematics, astronomy, literature, and history. Banneker would learn about the stars and planets and their positions by watching the sky and recording what he saw. He would …show more content…
It was thought to be the most precise clock at the time and functioned well until his death. He also constructed a more efficient system for watering the crops on his family’s farm. Later in his life, he became friends with his neighbor, George Ellicott, and his brother. Ellicott offered to lend Benjamin textbooks and a telescope for studies in exchange for Banneker to educate him on the subjects of mathematics and astronomy. In 1789, he successfully predicted a solar eclipse by using the books and telescope to study the alignment of the planets and stars. Benjamin also wrote a dissertation on bees in the midst of his studies. Having become closer to the Ellicott brothers, Banneker was introduced to their cousin, Major Andrew Ellicott. Impressed with Banneker’s skills in mathematics and astronomy, Major Ellicott recommended him as his replacement in the “D.C. Project.” This project was the constructing of the nation’s capitol, Washington D.C. He was then officially appointed to the project by George Washington in