About this item
Highlights
- The first biography of a major figure in early US and African American historyA household name and unparalleled hero revered in every African American household, Benjamin Banneker was a completely self-taught mathematical genius who achieved professional status in astronomy, navigation, and engineering.
- Author(s): Charles A Cerami
- 272 Pages
- Biography + Autobiography, Cultural, Ethnic & Regional
Description
Book Synopsis
The first biography of a major figure in early US and African American historyA household name and unparalleled hero revered in every African American household, Benjamin Banneker was a completely self-taught mathematical genius who achieved professional status in astronomy, navigation, and engineering. His acknowledged expertise and superior surveying skills led to his role as coworker with the Founding Fathers in planning our nation's capitol, Washington, DC. His annual Banneker's Almanac was the first written by a black and outsold the major competition. In addition, he was a vocal force in the fight for the abolition of slavery. Yet, despite his accomplishments, there has been no biography of this important man-until now. Written by an author with strong ties across the Washington-Maryland-Virginia area where abolitionist societies revered Banneker, this long overdue biography at last gives the hard-earned attention this prominent hero and his accomplishments deserve.
Review Quotes
* "...written with a clarity and simplicity..." (Times Literary Supplement, 31 May 2002)