The Extraordinary Benjamin Banneker – Pieces of History

For Black History Month we’re taking a closer look at mathematician, statistician, astronomer, surveyor, and farmer Benjamin Banneker. 

Benjamin Banneker was born on November 9, 1731, in Baltimore County, Maryland. He lived on his family’s 100-acre farm near present-day Ellicott City his entire life. While many mythologies have developed surrounding Banneker and his accomplishments since his death, his life was nonetheless extraordinary.

What we do know about Banneker is that he learned to read and write and attended Quaker school that taught both White and Black students. He was very adept at mathematics, and with a thirst for knowledge he continued to educate himself throughout his life through books and observations. After his father passed away, he took charge of the family’s farm. He was undoubtedly remarkable—an 18th-century free Black man living in a slave state who was both educated and a property owner.

Banneker has become famous for many things, and accounts of his accomplishments vary. He made a working clock—entirely out of wood—which kept accurate time for decades. After he became interested in astronomy, he accurately predicted the 1789 solar eclipse, contradicting predictions of well-known mathematicians and astronomers. He published an almanac of tide tables, eclipses, and useful medicinal products and formulas—the first scientific book by a Black American, which was published annually for ten years.

Banneker, however, was best known for serving as a surveyor on the team that laid out the initial boundaries for Washington, DC. The Residence Act of 1790 authorized President George Washington to select a 100-square-mile site for the national capital on the Potomac River. Once Washington finalized his selection, he ordered the Commissioners for the District of Columbia to survey the boundary of the new capital city.

Major Andrew Ellicott was appointed to conduct the survey. Banneker, who was a neighbor and good friend of Ellicott’s cousin, George, was part of the survey team that was assembled. From February to April 1791, Banneker made the astronomical observations and calculations needed to establish the south corner of the square in Jones Point. Banneker received $2 a day for his work, which was less than the $5 Ellicott was paid, but it was in line with what other assistant surveyors were making at that time.

On April 15, 1791, the first Boundary Stone was laid at Jones Point in Alexandria. Unfortunately, due to advanced age and poor health, Banneker was not able to accompany Ellicott’s team for the remainder of the forty-mile boundary.

After his work at Jones Point, Banneker went back home to work on his farmer’s almanac. He had retired from farming, and planned to spend the reminder of his life focused on his studies. Banneker died on October 9, 1806. Shortly after his death, a fire destroyed most of his possessions, which has contributed to the many contradictory stories related to his life.

There are numerous commemorations of Banneker in the city he helped establish including a high school, a community center, and a memorial park—all with his name. There are additional memorials and parks dedicated to him in Maryland and Virginia, including Benjamin Banneker Park in Arlington, which contains one of the boundary stones. 

In the early 21st century, there was an effort to add a statue of Banneker at the Benjamin Banneker Park at L’Enfant Plaza promenade in Washington DC. After initial plans failed, a prototype of a statue for the Benjamin Banneker Memorial in Washington, DC, was unveiled at the National Archives Building in 2008. To date, however, the statue has not been added to the park.  

Visit our African American Heritage page for resources related to Black history. And learn more about the Residence Act and the creation of the capital city in our blog.