by Mary Jo
February is Black History Month in the US and Canada. I understand that the UK has a similar celebration in October. February was chosen because both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were born this month, on the 12th and 14th respectively.
Until last fall, I had only the vaguest awareness of Benjamin Banneker--that he was an early African American scientist of some sort. And that was the extent of my knowledge.
Then a friend visited and the Mayhem Consultant suggested I take her to see the Benjamin Banneker Museum , which I'd never heard of. Situated in a very rural area of Baltimore County, I was surprised to find that the museum is a handsome building that is the centerpiece of the 142 acre Benjamin Banneker county park. Moreover, the park is located on the site of Banneker's own farm.
What I learned in the museum, including a short movie about his life starring Ossie Davis, was that Banneker was a true prodigy. He was a remarkable astronomer and mathematician who did the complex calculations to produce an almanac, which was published
According to the movie of his life, Banneker's grandmother, Molly Walsh, was a Welsh servant who lost a pail of milk when the cow she was milking kicked it over. Accused of theft, she was sent to the American colonies as an indentured servant, which was usually for a term of seven years. Not much is known about her, but after she finished her period of indentured servitude, she earned enough money to buy a piece of land and buy two black slaves. She promptly freed them both and married one of the two, an African born man named Banneka.
Their daughter Mary, a free black, also married a freed African born slave named Robert and they had several children, including Benjamin. His abilities were recognized early and he was aided on his path by several Quakers, who were abolitionists and believers in equality. One of them started a nearby school and allowed Benjamin use of his personal library. Benjamin had formal schooling only until he was old enough to work on the family farm.
There were more Quakers in Benjamin's future. The three Ellicott brothers moved down from Philadelphia after deciding that the Patapsco River was an ideal site for developing a gristmill. The Banneker farm was nearby and sold them food. Impressed by Benjamin's abilities, the Ellicotts encouraged his studies and became lifelong friends. One of the brothers, Major Andrew Ellicott, was the man who enlisted Benjamin as part of the surveying team for the District of Columbia. (The community of Ellicott Mills is now the charming town of Ellicott City.)
This is a replica of Banneker's cottage, built in the same location and dimensions. It's--very small! The museum is much larger, with exhibits and educational programs, and the park has numerous trails and nature programs. Benjamin Banneker was a remarkable man, and I'm glad he is remembered and commemorated today.
Another African American icon born in Maryland was the amazing Harriet Tubman. Born into slavery, she escaped to the north and conducted African Americans to freedom along the Underground Railroad, never losing a "passenger." During the Civil War, she was a nurse, a spy, and led an armed raid that freed 700 slaves. Did I mention "amazing?"
Since it's Black History Month, are there any historical African Americans you particularly admire? In honor of the month, I'll give away a copy of my book, A Distant Magic, which is built around the 18th century British abolition movement, to one person who comments between now and midnight Tuesday.
Mary Jo