{"data":{"description":"Archiving Early America - America's First Black Scientist","title":"America's First Black Scientist","post_type":"post","content":"\u003cstrong\u003eBy Don Vitale\u003c/strong\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nAs I said in my first take on Benjamin Banneker, there's more to the story.\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nFor starters let's be clear about Banneker. He was a free black man and a resident of Maryland. He was a mathematician, an astronomer and a surveyor.  Never a slave.\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nBut that's not to say he wasn't sensitive to slavery and racial equality. How do we know this?\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nThe letter he wrote to Thomas Jefferson, the one in which he pleaded with Jefferson to use his influence to bring an end to slavery in America. In fact Banneker chided (if I may use that word)  Jefferson and other framers of the Declaration of Independence for their hypocrisy in keeping \"part of my brethren under groaning captivity and cruel oppression.\"\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nWhile using Jefferson's own words \"that all men are created equal,\" Jefferson and his compatriots are guilty of \"narrow prejudices.\"\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nReady for more?\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nSaid Banneker: \"you should at the same time be found guilty of that most criminal act which you professedly detested in others.\" That's putting it on the line.... right, amigos?\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nSo what happened, if anything?\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nAt the time Jefferson was Secretary of State. He thanked Banneker for his views and passed his letter on to officials in the new government.  Jefferson had always during his life opposed slavery yet owned hundreds of slaves while freeing only a few.\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nAs a footnote to this story, please note that the Postal Service issued a stamp in 1980 honoring \"America's First Black Scientist.\"--dv","menu":[{"path":"lives-early-america","title":"Famous Lives","submenu":[{"path":"lives-early-america/autobiography-benjamin-franklin","title":"Autobiography of Ben Franklin"},{"path":"lives-early-america/ramsays-life-washington","title":"Ramsay's The Life of Washington"},{"path":"lives-early-america/adventures-col-daniel-boone","title":"The Adventures of Col. Daniel Boone"},{"path":"lives-early-america/true-story-paul-revere","title":"The True Story of Paul Revere"},{"path":"world-early-america/famous-obits","title":"Famous Obits"},{"path":"portrait","title":"Portraits"},{"path":"rare-images/last-men-revolution","title":"The Last Men of the Revolution"}]},{"path":"freedom-documents","title":"Freedom Documents","submenu":[{"path":"freedom-documents/bill-rights","title":"Bill of Rights"},{"path":"freedom-documents/declaration-independence","title":"Declaration of Independence"},{"path":"freedom-documents/u-s-constitution","title":"The U.S. Constitution"}]},{"path":"world-early-america","title":"World of Early America","submenu":[{"path":"bookmarks","title":"Early American Bookmarks"},{"path":"world-early-america/famous-obits","title":"Famous Obits"},{"path":"firsts","title":"Firsts!"},{"path":"rare-images/maps","title":"Maps"},{"path":"rare-images","title":"Rare Images"},{"path":"music1","title":"Music"},{"path":"writings","title":"The Writings of Early America"}]},{"path":"boston-massacre","title":"Boston Massacre"},{"path":"milestone-events","title":"Milestones"},{"path":"early-america-review","title":"The Review"},{"path":"home/teachers-students","title":"Teachers"},{"path":"sitemap","title":"Sitemap"}]},"success":true}