African American who contributed to the design and construction of Washington D.C.?
Benjamin Banneker. Born in Maryland on November 9, 1791, the
grandchild of former slaves, Banneker is one of the most
unrecognized contributors in history to the design of the United
States' capitol city - Washington, D.C. Though he was originally a
poor farmer, Banneker loved mechanics and astronomy, and at age 58
began the study of astronomy. He was soon predicting future solar
and lunar eclipses. He compiled annual almanacs containing the
predictions that were published for the years 1792 through 1797.
"Benjamin Banneker's Almanac" was a top seller from Pennsylvania to
Virginia and even into Kentucky. In 1791, Banneker contributed to
the calculations and first-ever surveying for the Federal District,
now Washington, D.C. He helped to establish boundaries for the
city. Banneker is now known as one of the "first African-American
intellectuals," and was praised by Thomas Jefferson himself for his
acheivements.