A free Black man who owned a farm near Baltimore, Benjamin Banneker was largely self-educated in astronomy and mathematics. The 18th century intellectual used his knowledge to create a series of almanacs in the 1790s. He also helped survey territory for the construction of the American capital city, Washington D.C. An early civil rights advocate, Banneker exchanged letters with Thomas Jefferson, politely challenging the then-Secretary of State to do what he could to ensure racial equality. Banneker died at age 74 in October 1806.
