Letter to Jefferson
Banneker's confidence extended into other realms. During Thomas Jefferson's tenure as secretary of state, Banneker wrote the respected Virginian and attacked his proslavery stance. He criticized Jefferson, a slave owner himself, for his "absurd and false ideas" and urged him to recognize that "one Universal Father…afforded us all the same sensations and endowed us all with the same faculties."To his credit, Jefferson acknowledged Banneker's letter, writing him a response, which Banneker published alongside his original piece of correspondence in his 1793 almanac.
Banneker's outspokenness with regard to the issue of slavery earned him the widespread support of the abolitionist societies in Maryland and Pennsylvania, both of which helped him publish his almanac.
Benjamin Banneker died in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 25, 1806. He was buried at the family burial ground near his house.
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