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Benjamin Banneker was born free when most blacks in this country were still enslaved. But it troubled him that not all blacks were free. An accomplished astronomer and mathematician, he decided to take a stand against slavery by writing to then-Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. This is the story of their extraordinary correspondence.
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Customer Reviews (1)

Benjamin + Molly
I bought Dear Benjamin Banneker, because I had read Molly Bannekey to my second graders (as part of lessons on "questioning") and my students loved Molly Bannekey.At the end of Molly Bannekey, she is sitting with a grandson named Benjamin.We wanted to see if this was the same Benjamin - and it was. The content and vocabulary is a little difficult for second graders, but it has some nice tie-ins to Martin Luther King, Jr. and the fight for equal rights. It would also be very appropriate for immediate grades and studies on colonial America. ... Read more

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Advance praise from Kweisi Mfume, President and CEO, NAACP

"Herein breathes the universal genius Benjamin Banneker — mathematician, astronomer, diarist, and sage.

Biographer Charles Cerami mines the available data, eschews the apocryphal, and renders his subject human. Captured completely is the flowering genius of a largely home-schooled boy wonder, exhibiting mathematical wizardry while devouring the Bible, Plato, Epictetus, and virtually every other extant tome. The fabled memory that could have reproduced LEnfants plan for the entire District of Columbia becomes palpable and real.

We understand how the pragmatic farmer who was imbued with Quaker ideology endured decades of ignominious racism with overt equanimity while haunted by incessant night terrors. We comprehend the heroism of the man whose very existence refuted Thomas Jeffersons notorious public denial of black intellect in Notes on Virginia when, speaking truth to power, Banneker launched an anti-slavery epistle at the ambivalent and duplicitous Jefferson. We are enraged at the account of arsonists setting fire on the day of Bannekers funeral to the small, rustic log cabin where the genius had labored in solitude among his instruments, papers, and books. We are grateful to Charles Cerami, who has resurrected the spirit of a neglected giant and gifted us with a biography nearly two centuries overdue."

"Like Benjamin Banneker, Charles Cerami presents the product of his research in a modest yet compelling manner. Cerami engagingly writes about both Banneker the genius and Banneker the man–a thought-provoking read." —Raymond G. Dobard, Ph.D., Professor of Art, Howard University, and coauthor of Hidden in Plain View: A Secret story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Best Biography on Benjamin Banneker
This biopic of Bejamin Banneker (Ben Bey) is very revealing and gives the reader a look inside of Banneker's personal life (even though some of it might be merely educated guess work regarding his intimate relationships). Some conjecture and innuendo is tossed around a bit irresponsibly but overall one of the best if not the best work on Ben Bey. This has to be one of the first books about Ben Bey that mentions his hereditary extraction (Malian & Fulani). I didn't know upon Banneker's expiration hishouse and most of all his works were burned to ashes by his racist enemies. Depriving the world of a first hand look into his accomplishments. Cerami also explains the close friendship of Ben Bey and Benjamin Franklin in detail. I believe Charles Cerami portrays Ben Bey and his scientific genius better than all the biographies before it.

Astronomical
Benjamin Banneker:Surveyor, Astronomer, Publisher, Patriot, by Charles A. Cerami has expanded our knowledge of this renowned 18th century African American. To those familiar with the contributions of blacks to American society, Benjamin Banneker's accomplishments are well known. He was a free black man, son of an African, his grandmother, an indentured servant from England. He built a wooden clock using a pocket watch as a guide. Later on in life, he parlayed his scientific and mathematical skills into the creation of an almanac. He then went on to become an integral part of the team that surveyed the area that was to become the nation's capitol. He wrote letters to Thomas Jefferson critical of the latter's racist views, and even received a response. The author covers this ground well. We are aware of how stunning Banneker's achievements are, given that he was a black man living in a nation where the vast majority of black people toiled in slavery. Even a free black was a degraded, stigmatized creature in white eyes. The author, however, lifts Banneker out of this limiting context to elevate him into the company of truly original thinkers. Thus, Banneker becomes more than a brilliant black man who rose above his station to live the life of the mind, a pursuit which, if he were white, would not have garnered much attention. Banneker made an assertion that no one had made up that point (at least not with his degree of logic). He speculated on the existence of life on other worlds. The author presents an excerpt from Banneker's writings as proof that this humble black farmer was far ahead of his time. Indeed, such a revolutionary thought would not be adopted by scientists as a credible theory until well into the 20th century. Charles Cerami's work is of monumental importance because now we have a new insight into the depth of Benjamin Banneker's intellect. Hopefully, this book will be so widely read that Banneker's role as the man who memorized the plans to Washington, D.C. will not be his ultimate achievement in the popular imagination. Hopefully, scientists, historians and lay enthusiasts will recognize the significance of Banneker's thinking in regard to the possibility of life beyond our precious, little world.

Astronomical
Benjamin Banneker:Surveyor, Astronomer, Publisher, Patriot, by Charles A. Cerami has expanded our knowledge of this renowned 18th century African American. To those familiar with the contributions of blacks to American society, Benjamin Banneker's accomplishments are well known. He was a free black man, son of an African, his grandmother, an indentured servant from England. He built a wooden clock using a pocket watch as a guide. Later on in life, he parlayed his scientific and mathematical skills into the creation of an almanac. He then went on to become an integral part of the team that surveyed the area that was to become the nation's capitol. He wrote letters to Thomas Jefferson critical of the latter's racist views, and even received a response. The author covers this ground well. We are aware of how stunning Banneker's achievements are, given that he was a black man living in a nation where the vast majority of black people toiled in slavery. Even a free black was a degraded, stigmatized creature in white eyes. The author, however, lifts Banneker out of this limiting context to elevate him into the company of truly original thinkers. Thus, Banneker becomes more than a brilliant black man who rose above his station to live the life of the mind, a pursuit which, if he were white, would not have garnered much attention. Banneker made an assertion that no one had made up that point (at least not with his degree of logic). He speculated on the existence of life on other worlds. The author presents an excerpt from Banneker's writings as proof that this humble black farmer was far ahead of his time. Indeed, such a revolutionary thought would not be adopted by scientists as a credible theory until well into the 20th century. Charles Cerami's work is of monumental importance because now we have a new insight into the depth of Benjamin Banneker's intellect. Hopefully, this book will be so widely read that Banneker's role as the man who memorized the plans to Washington, D.C. will not be his ultimate achievement in the popular imagination. Hopefully, scientists, historians and lay enthusiasts will recognize the significance of Banneker's thinking in regard to the possibility of life beyond our precious, little world.

Benjamin Banneker: Surveyor, Astronomer, Publisher, Patriot
I can't believe the genius of Benjamin Banneker, the man. I always knew his name through his famous letter to Thomas Jefferson.In the pages of this fascinating biography, I discovered his excellence in so many professions, especially astronomy. His speculations on light and stars were revolutionary and opened the door to modern astronomy. He is a true American hero. ... Read more

Product Description
THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. In a time when most African Americans were slaves, Banneker lived a life of freedom and became known as America's first African American man of science. Through his accomplishments, he helped ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

great illustrations
The writing of the book was fine. I am a little older than an "on my own biographt" reader. Nonetheless I was interested in the life of a Black scientist living in the late 1700's.The book follows Benjamin Banneker from being a young boy working on his family's tobbacco farm to clockmaking, land surveying, and almanac writing.His thirst for learning makes him a great role model.The book also put his life in historical context which makes for a great learning device.
What really brings the story to life are the illustrations. Craig Orback has done some beautiful paintings!I particularly enjoy the rich color and expansive feeling of the landscapes and skyscapes.The characters are expressive. A few pages are stunning in their warm light and vivid color. I felt really drawn to them.In fact, I think the book would be completely interesting and inspiring to me even if I couldn't read and it were being read to me before bedtime.
I reccomend this book for the excellent art and the inspiring (and maybe little known) story of early African American accomplishment. ... Read more

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“The Life of Benjamin Banneker offers remarkable insights and artistry in its picture of a time of fascinating social complexity requiring delicacy in its diagnosis and skill in its reconstruction. It is difficult to characterize this exquisite story of the first black scientist without superlatives which seem out of place in describing an account of a life so simple and at the same time so sublime and which is reproduced in masterful prose equally simple, accurate and appropriate. Here is a searching book that—like a light suddenly thrown on in the darkness—illuminates a long neglected scientific spirit struggling for recognition.” ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Benjamin Banneker - the man and the myths
. Why is there a DC high school named for Benjamin Banneker? If you read this book, you will find out that this local-boy-made-good was a free African-American tobacco farmer who was born and lived his entire life just outside of what is now known as Ellicott City, MD.He had an early interest in mathematics, science, and astronomy, and with a pocket knife and some other tools built one of the first clocks ever made in the 13 American colonies, out of wood. For this he became locally famous, and made friends with some of the younger members of the Ellicott family, who were Quakers, anti-slavery advocates, and owners of some mills in what was then known as Ellicott's Mills. They lent him some mathematics and astronomy texts, and eventually gave him a telescope. He taught himself a considerable amount of mathematical and observational astronomy, and eventually began, around the age of 60, to publish an almanac detailing the locations of the planets and the Moon for the coming year, as well as predicting eclipses and sunrises and sunsets - all based on laborious and lengthy calculations and diagrams that he made himself.

Eventually, he was tapped for an even greater role - he was hired to help Major Andrew Ellicott in the astronomical and chronometric portion of the most important surveying job of his day - laying out the 10 mile by 10 mile square that eventually became the District of Columbia.

This very well-researched book also helps lay to rest some of the myths about what Banneker did and did not do during his most unusual lifetime; unfortunately, many websites and books continue to propagate these myths, probably because those authors do not understand what Banneker actually accomplished. Many state, for example, that Banneker's clock was an exact copy of one he saw, which is not true -- he figured out the mathematics and physics on his own for a clock made out of wood, instead of trying simply to copy the small pocket watch that he was lent to observe. However remarkable this clock was, it was not the first clock made in America. Other sources continually repeat the myth thatwhen Pierre l'Enfant was fired from the job of laying out the new Federal City, Benjamin Banneker recreated l'Enfant's plans from memory. Bedini lays this myth to rest and shows us that what Banneker actually did in terms of astronomical work was actually much more difficult -- in fact, it was in the league of the work done by Mechain and Delambre to measure the length of the meridian that passes through Dunkirk, Paris and Barcelona, with the purpose of defining the meter for all time. But that's another story -- but if you want to read about it, check out Ken Alder's The Measure of All Things: The Seven-Year Odyssey and Hidden Error that Transformed The World.

If you read this book, you will also see some facsimiles of his widely-known almanac, some of his correspondence with Thomas Jefferson where he vainly attempts to convince the future president that African Americans are just as smart as European Americans, photographs of some of the equipment that he used, and so on. Unfortunately, Banneker's house, and all of its contents (including the wooden clock and many of his astronomical workbooks) burned to the ground on the day of his funeral.

Benjamin Banneker, Trailblazing Colonial
A great read for my six and eight-year old grandsons and me. This biography briefly but clearly covered several areas of history: colonialism, slavery, scientific works of more than 200 years ago. It toldof Banneker's many accomplishments,focusing mainly on his producing thefirst known almanac by an African-American and his correspondence withThomas Jefferson over the unfairness of slavery in America. We learned whatan almanac is and how important it was in colonial days. The book mentionshow Banneker's grandmother, Molly, taught him to read and this led mygrandsons and I to another biography, "Molly Bannaky", the storyof Banneker's grandmother, written by Alice McGill. We had fun researchingBanneker's family tree in this way. What I especially liked about the bookwas the quiet message I hope my grandsons grasped, that if you keep tryinghard enough, you can accomplish many goals in your life and have a richerlife for it. ... Read more

Product Description
Provides an introduction to the life and biography of Benjamin Banneker, the African American astronomer and mathematician who helped survey Washington, D.C., and who wrote several successful almanacs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great for Kids School Project Research
This book was a straightforward resource and just what we needed for a Marvelous Mathemetician Report!!Both my 3rd and 5th graders agree it was easy to read and had very accessible information!! ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the Afro-American farmer and self-taught mathematician, astronomer, and surveyor for the new capital city of the United States in 1791, who also calculated a successful almanac notable for its preciseness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Why aren't we hearing about this wonderful man in our schools today?
This was on our history list for our home school history co-op.I thought I was getting a book about Benjamin Franklin because I didn't read the title carefully when putting on hold at our library.What a wonderful surprise this was!I am so sad I never learned about this man during my time in school.Not only is he very important to Black history but AMERICAN history foremost.My 6 year old son and I so enjoyed this book.Now I am adding it to our home library.My 4 year old was pretty interested as well so I can't wait to re-read it to him a little bit down the road.I can't believe this man that did so much for our country is so unknown.You won't be sorry to read this to your kids or even as an introduction for adult reading.We are definitely hungry to learn more about this godly man.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Benjamin Banneker was raised on a farm in Maryland.Growing up, he counted everything.He learned to read and constantly wanted to know more.He worked hard growing tobacco and fishing, but he wanted more than that out of his life. When a Quaker moved in nearby and started a school, Benjamin was permitted to attend.He lasted there about four years, until he learned all the Quaker had to teach him.

One day in town, he encountered a man he knew.The man had a watch that he let Benjamin borrow.Benjamin spent many hours taking the watch apart and documenting how all the pieces worked and fit together.It took Benjamin two years, but he recreated the watch and built his own working clock.

People talked, and soon many wanted to come and see the man that built the clock.

Life went on like this for Benjamin.He discovered something new and then had to master it.It was his mastery of astronomy and surveying that eventually landed him in the midst of President Washington and Thomas Jefferson.Benjamin was now part of the team that would design the layout of the new capital in Washington.

Benjamin had only a basic education by today's standards, but Ms. Ferris goes on to document the amazing accomplishments one man made on his own.She shows what hard work and perseverance can accomplish.

Reviewed by:Jaglvr

An excellent biography for children!
My mother bought me these books when I was in the 3rd grade.They got me through many book reports and biography assignments in elementary school.I had never heard of Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth or Benjamin Banneker before.Even now that I am in college I remember things I learned from these books!I can't listen to a lecture on Washington D.C., slavery or African-Americans and not think about this book!These books are simple enough for any child to understand, and it might just spark they're interest in history too.

What Are You Figuring Now-Teaching History Through Literatur
The story of Benjamin Banneker has been a great addition to my class.I teach 7th,8th grade resource special education students in an economicallydisadvantaged part of rural east Texas. We read the story and study it withthe use of vocabulary and questions which I have developed.The story iswell written and easy enough for my slow readers to enjoy.I am verypleased to be able to teach history in this manner. My class is a readingclass but we are able to use this simple book as a jumping off place toteach invention, hard work, overcoming obstacles and a myriad of othercharacter building concepts. Highly recommended... ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the text that can both be accessed online and used to create new print copies. This book and thousands of others can be found in the digital collections of the University of Michigan Library. The University Library also understands and values the utility of print, and makes reprints available through its Scholarly Publishing Office. ... Read more

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A biography of the free-born black man who, as a self-taught mathematician and astronomer, helped survey the site of the Nation's Capitol and published several popular almanacs. ... Read more

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Text and photographs introduce the life of Benjamin Banneker, an astronomer and mathematician, who wrote alamancs and helped survey the land for the U.S. captial. ... Read more

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A biography of the eighteenth-century African-American who taught himself mathematics and astronomy and helped survey what would become Washington, D.C. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

What an inspiring story!
Banneker is such a great role model for middle-schoolers!And Ms. Litwin has done a superb job of recreating life in his time.Any young person, but especially an African-American, will be thrilled by this fine andhistorically accurate biography of a self-taught free black man who helpedcreate our nation's capital and who corresponded with Thomas Jeffersonabout slavery.

A Must Read WIth Tons Of Great Info!
Are you interested in a great bioagraphy on a phenomenal free African American? Well, then this book is for you. It is worded simple enough to really understand and challenging enough to keep you interested. With greatpictures, this non-fiction is a must read for informationalpurposes(reports, etc.) and for pleasure! ... Read more

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A biography profiling the life of scientist and mathematician Benjamin Banneker. Includes source notes and timeline. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Average
This is your average Banneker book. It has some original documents as far as his work on almanacs is concerned, but it gives him totally no credit for the design of Wash. D.C. Rather over priced as well. ... Read more

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Patapsco is a novel that fictionalizes the life of the Early American scientist, Benjamin Banneker. It is written in a style that approximates the language of the Eighteenth Century. While the characters and events are both real and imagined, the accomplishments of Banneker are historically accurate". This work could have been called, A SYMPHONY Of BENJAMIN BANNEKER. The life of this African American genius was such that its rhythms, movements and colors were in precise design. Banneker was rightly recognized, in his time, as an American original. Other works by this author: SONGS OF THE ZODIAC, In Doo-Wop America ISBN: 0-595-40032-9 HARLEM WRITERS GUILD PRESS/iUNIVERSE THE LEGEND OF MOON MOUNTAIN, Ruwenzori-A Fable For Every Age; ISBN: 978-1-4343-4157-0 AUTHORHOUSEEXCURSIONS, Penny CandyISBN: 978-1-4401-6159-9HARLEM WRITERS GUILD PRESS/iUNIVERSE ... Read more

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Simple rhyming text introduces the life and work of the African-American scientist, astronomer, surveyor, and almanac publisher. ... Read more

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Adventure Tales of Benjamin Banneker is the inspiringstory of an 18th century free African-American who became a respectedmathematician and astronomer; was appointed by George Washington tohelp survey Washington, D.C.; published the first Maryland almanac;and made his life an adventure in learning. The book is for readers ofall ages who love history. It features the same left and right braintext/illustration format as the author's previous work, AdventureTales of America: An Illustrated History of the United States,1492-1877. In full color, Adventure Tales of Benjamin Bannekerincludes text, pictures, timelines, and maps, as well as photographsof the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum in Oella,Maryland. ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more