1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:05,199 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio, 2 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: show that proves it's never too late or too early 4 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 1: to make history. I'm Gabeluesier, and today we're looking at 5 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: the story of Benjamin Banneker, the fifty nine year old 6 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 1: black scholar who dared to call out the hypocrisy of 7 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: one of America's founding fathers. The day was August nineteenth, 8 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: seventeen ninety one. American author and astronomer Benjamin Banneker wrote 9 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: a fourteen hundred word letter to Thomas Jefferson challenging his 10 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: views on slavery. Banneker's experience differed quite a bit from 11 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: most African Americans in the early United States. He was 12 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: born free in rural Baltimore County, Maryland, on November ninth, 13 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: seventeen thirty one. Grew up in relative comfort on a 14 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: one hundred acre tobacco farm owned by his parents, the 15 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 1: free black daughter of an American mixed race couple and 16 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 1: a formerly enslaved African man from Guinea. The Bannickers were 17 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: among the two hundred or so free black homesteaders who 18 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: called the area home, compared to four thousand enslaved in 19 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: thirteen thousand white people. The family had to keep a 20 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: low profile in their own neighborhood. His animosity toward free 21 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: blacks was rising by the day, but they still enjoyed 22 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,399 Speaker 1: a level of independence and self determination that was not 23 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 1: available to most black Americans at the time. Benjamin Banneker, 24 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: for instance, was able to receive a formal education, which 25 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 1: wasn't the norm for most children in the region, regardless 26 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: of race. His grandmother taught him to read and write 27 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: at an early age, and when he was a little older, 28 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: he attended a local one room schoolhouse where white and 29 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: black students were taught together. Bannaker also continued his education 30 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: outside the classroom, taking a special interest in mathematics and engineering. 31 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: In his early twenties, he studied the gears of a 32 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: pocket watch to learn the mechanics, and then hand carved 33 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: a large wooden clock that kept perfect time. Functioning time 34 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 1: pieces were such a rarity in eighteenth century Maryland that 35 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 1: Bannickers was later described in the press as quote one 36 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: of the curiosities of the wild region. In his adulthood, 37 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: Banneker was also an avid student of astronomy and used 38 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: his growing knowledge to compile several astronomical charts and to 39 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: correctly predict a solar eclipse. His prowess in the subject 40 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: eventually caught the eye of noted Philadelphia astronomer David Rittenhouse, 41 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,679 Speaker 1: who went on to assist Banneker in publishing a popular 42 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: series of almanacs. These achievements earned Banniker another admirer in 43 00:02:55,760 --> 00:03:00,119 Speaker 1: the forum of Major Andrew Ellicott, a wealthy Maryland landowner 44 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: and surveyor. In early seventeen ninety one, Ellicott was contracted 45 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: to survey the boundaries of what would ultimately become Washington, 46 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: d c. And because Banneker's keen intellect was well known 47 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: in the area, Elicott sought his assistance for the project. 48 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 1: It was the first time in his life that Banneker 49 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: had traveled more than ten miles from his family farm, 50 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 1: and the role of a free black man in mapping 51 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: the future seed of the federal government would not go unnoticed. 52 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:33,679 Speaker 1: President George Washington and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson were 53 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: both aware of Banneker's involvement. It was somewhat surprising that 54 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: Jefferson had signed off on it, as he had written 55 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: in his seventeen eighty five book Notes on the State 56 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: of Virginia, that people of African descent were intellectually inferior 57 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: to whites by nature. Jefferson didn't comment on the matter publicly, 58 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: but the local press did. The Georgetown Weekly Ledger, for example, 59 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: said that quote Bannecker's abilities as a surveyor and an 60 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: astronomer clearly proved that mister Jefferson's conclusion that that race 61 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: of men were void of mental endowments was without foundation. 62 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 1: The public debate over Banneker's intellectual capacity shows that despite 63 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: his accomplishments, he was still subject to the same racial 64 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: prejudices that other black Americans faced, whether they were enslaved 65 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: or not. It's perhaps no surprise, then, that a few 66 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 1: months after returning to his farm, Banneker felt compelled to 67 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: weigh in on the matter himself. On August nineteenth, seventeen 68 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 1: ninety one, he sent Thomas Jefferson an advance copy of 69 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 1: his almanac, along with a lengthy letter in which he 70 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: laid out the case for the abolition of slavery. Banneker 71 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,279 Speaker 1: pulled no punches either. He expressed his disappointment that the 72 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: author of the Declaration of Independence was himself a slaveholder. 73 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 1: Then he called out Jefferson's hypocrisy directly by quoting his 74 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:05,600 Speaker 1: own words from the declaration's preamble. We hold these truths 75 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: to be self evident, that all men are created equal, 76 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 1: that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, 77 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 78 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: Banneker continued from there, writing, quote, Sir, how pitiable is 79 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 1: it to reflect that, although you were so fully convinced 80 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: of the benevolence of the Father of mankind, and of 81 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: his equal and impartial distribution of those rights and privileges 82 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: which he had conferred upon them, that you should at 83 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: the same time counteract his mercies in detaining by fraud 84 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:47,600 Speaker 1: and violence so numerous a part of my brethren under groaning, captivity, 85 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: and cruel oppression, that you should at the same time 86 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: be found guilty of that most criminal act which you 87 00:05:55,120 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 1: professedly detested in others with respect to yourselves. Jefferson sent 88 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:05,359 Speaker 1: a response to Banneker eleven days later. It was cordial, brief, 89 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: and incredibly patronizing. Nobody wishes more than I do, Jefferson wrote, 90 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: to see such proofs as you exhibit that nature has 91 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: given to our black brethren talents equal to those of 92 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: the other colors of men. I can add with truth 93 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,719 Speaker 1: that nobody wishes more ardently to see a good system 94 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 1: commenced for raising the condition both of their body and 95 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: mind to what it ought to be, as fast as 96 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 1: the imbecility of their present existence and other circumstances which 97 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 1: cannot be neglected will admit. Jefferson added that he had 98 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: sent Banneker's almanac to the Marquis de Condorcet of the 99 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: French Academy of Sciences so that he could use it 100 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: to dispel other people's doubts about black ability. Although Jefferson's 101 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 1: response was noncommittal, Bannecker was seemingly encouraged by it. He 102 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: even public their correspondence as a pamphlet, which quickly made 103 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:08,040 Speaker 1: the rounds among the budding abolitionist movement. Sadly, there's reason 104 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: to think that Jefferson wasn't sincere in his praise of 105 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: Benjamin Bannicker. Three years after the author's passing in eighteen 106 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: oh six, Jefferson sent a letter to his friend Joel 107 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: Barlow in which he downplayed Bannicker's intelligence. I have a 108 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: long letter from Bannicker he wrote, which shows him to 109 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: have had a mind of very common stature. Indeed, given 110 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: that display of pettiness, I think it's safe to assume 111 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: that Bannicker's letter left a mark on Jefferson's ego. Unfortunately, 112 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: it didn't have much impact on his views of slavery. 113 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: America's third president enslaved more than six hundred people during 114 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: his lifetime, and he emancipated only five of them when 115 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 1: he died in eighteen twenty six. With humility, reason, and 116 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:00,040 Speaker 1: great tact, Benjamin Bannicker tried to get Thomas Jefferson and 117 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: to see the error of his ways. He offered him 118 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: proof that all of his assumptions and prejudices were not 119 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: only inaccurate, but immoral as well. And yet Jefferson, for 120 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: all of his learning and letters, didn't listen, which really 121 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: makes you wonder about the stature of his own mind. 122 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 1: I'm gay, Blues gay, and hopefully you now know a 123 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: little more about history today than you did yesterday. If 124 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: you'd like to keep up with the show, you can 125 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at TDI HC Show, 126 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: and if you have any comments or suggestions, feel free 127 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: to send him my way by writing to this day 128 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to kazb Bias for producing 129 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: the show, and thanks to you for listening. I'll see 130 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 1: you back here again tomorrow for another day in history. 131 00:08:55,640 --> 00:09:01,959 Speaker 1: Class s