Benjamin Banneker’s Letter to Thomas Jefferson, 1791
Prior to the publication of his first almanac, Benjamin Banneker decided to send a pre-publication manuscript to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, along with a cover letter. He felt if Jefferson were to see the fine work accomplished by a black man, it might lead to Jefferson re-visiting his personal stance on slavery.
For two weeks, Banneker labored over the letter, and on August 19, 1791 he read his handwritten letter for the last time and sealed it into a package with the manuscript, directing to Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
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