Cover of Dear Benjamin Banneker

Dear Benjamin Banneker

by Andrea Davis Pinkney · 1994

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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. Illustrated in full-page scratchboard and oil paintings by Caldecott Honor artist Brian Pinkney.

Subject
biographybiographyMore like thisLess of thishistoryhistoryMore like thisLess of thissocial sciencesocial scienceMore like thisLess of this
Genre
historical fictionhistorical fictionMore like thisLess of this
Themes
African AmericanAfrican AmericanMore like thisLess of thisAmerican historyAmerican historyMore like thisLess of thisdiversitydiversityMore like thisLess of thisslaveryslaveryMore like thisLess of thisraceraceMore like thisLess of this
Audience
picture bookschildrens
Length
short · 32 pages

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