Why was Benjamin Banneker Important?
As a direct descendant to a regal African slave, he offers tremendous significance to the history of our country. This self-educated, self-made man wrote books on astronomy, mathematics , created a wooden clock and published an almanac. Banneker taught himself the science of astronomy; he made projections for solar and lunar eclipses and computed ephemeredes (tables of the locations of celestial bodies) for an almanac. Seemingly, there was little he could not accomplish. He wrote Thomas Jefferson rebuking him for his proslavery views and urged him to reconsider becoming part of the movement towards the abolition of slavery. His works demonstrated the equal mental abilities of the races.
