Throughout his life Banneker was troubled that all blacks were not free. And so, in 1791, he wrote to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, who had signed the Declaration of Independence. Banneker attacked the institution of slavery and dared to call Jefferson a hypocrite for owning slaves. Jefferson responded. This is the story of Benjamin Banneker—his science, his politics, his morals, and his extraordinary correspondence with Thomas Jefferson.

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"Benjamin Banneker is known and admired for his work in science, mathematics, and astronomy. He was born free at a time in America, 1731, when most African Americans were slaves. At the age of 22 he built a strike clock based on his own drawings and using a pocket-knife" -- Provided by the Publisher.

Relates how Benjamin Banneker's grandmother journeyed from England to Maryland in the late seventeenth century, worked as an indentured servant, began a farm of her own, and married a freed slave.

Biography of Benjamin Banneker, famous for inventing the chiming clock and for his pioneering research in astrnomy.

Describes the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Banneker in the fields of science and architecture, as well as his impact as one of the pioneers in promoting equality.