This Day Jefferson Gets An Anti-Slavery Appeal (1791) [Archive Favorite]
Aug 17, 2025
On August 19, 1791, Benjamin Banneker boldly challenged Thomas Jefferson to reckon with the immorality of slavery. This conversation highlights Banneker’s status as a pioneering free Black intellectual and his impressive contributions, from an anti-slavery almanac to innovative inventions like a wooden clock. The dialogue between Banneker and Jefferson serves as a reflection on Enlightenment ideals, exposing the tension between proclaimed equality and racial prejudices. Listeners also ponder the tragic loss of Banneker's legacy due to historical fires.
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Banneker's Enlightenment Appeal
- Benjamin Banneker sent an almanac and a moral appeal to Thomas Jefferson urging recognition of slavery as wrong.
- Banneker framed equality as consistent with Enlightenment and the Declaration of Independence.
Banneker: Scientist Who Challenged Jefferson
- Kellie Carter Jackson summarizes Banneker as a self-taught, brilliant free Black scientist and surveyor who helped plan Washington, D.C.
- Banneker used his status to directly challenge Jefferson on race and equality.
Using Achievement To Counter Racist Theory
- Banneker used his achievements to disprove Jefferson's claims of Black inferiority from Notes on the State of Virginia.
- He appealed to Jefferson's Enlightenment ideals, expecting evidence would change his mind.