Benjamin Banneker Biography

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Benjamin Banneker was born in 1731 near Baltimore. His Grandmother, an Englishwoman, taught him to read and write. For several winters he attended a small school open to blacks and whites. There he developed a keen interest in mathematics and science. Later, while farming, Banneker pursued his mathematical studies and taught himself astronomy. In 1753, he completed a remarkable clock. He built it entirely of wood, carving each gear by hand. His only models were a pocket watch and an old picture of a clock. The clock kept almost perfect time for more than fifty years.
In 1791, Banneker served as assistant to Major Andrew Ellicott, the surveyor appointed by President George Washington

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