Benjamin Banneker

Benjamin Banneker grew up as a free black man in colonial America. The Banneker family was slightly outcast from the Baltimore County community because of their mixed heritage. Solitude did not upset young Banneker because it gave him an opportunity to teach himself and learn about the nature surrounding him. The author, Charles Cerami, demonstrates how Banneker was a highly intelligent man who did not allow the negative views of society to hold him back …

…The museum has tried to reestablish the homestead of Banneker, "the first Negro Man of Science". Today, historians continue to gather information about Banneker and his accomplishments. His remaining journal entries indicate that he was a very complicated man. He wrestled with various religious concepts as well as romantic feelings, racist sentiments, and the meaning of life (245). These nagging inner feelings did not deter Banneker from doing what he enjoyed most, exploring nature through mathematics.