benjamin banneker
... quoted financial records. Once he got older he would go out digging and planting along with his father. When Benjamin was six his father traded seven thousand pounds of tobacco for 100 acres of land and made it his families new home and as the children grew up they built them cabins on the land. These homes no longer exist and for remembrance a Banneker Memorial was built that has a marble museum on the grounds. His grandmother’s master accused her of stealing a pail of milk and wished to have her executed, but the courts gave her an opportunity to prove she was still worth being used so she read a passage from the bible. Although she read her passage, she was still sentenced to seven years of servitude in the colony of Maryland. She was blessed by many accounts with fair master that was possibly a Quaker. After seven years was completed she was provided with shoes, skirts, blouses, an ox, hoe, gun and fifty acres of farmland along with a small amount of cash. After surveying her land she purchased two slaves and one of them was very hard working and effective. The second slave named Banneka was not subject to working because he was the son of a king. Although Banneka did not work, he still utilized other skills to help on the farmland. He hunted, grew crops and provided irrigation for the farm to flourish. As a kings son those task were put on him in order to lead his people. It is believed that his ancestors came from Mali and were Dogon. The Dogon’s were well known for their ability in astronomy, irrigation and farming. Once the farm was established Molly gave Banneka his papers stating he was free and proceeded to marry him. Molly a...