Benjamin Banneker Banneker was a free African American surveyor, mathematician, and almanac author from Maryland. In 1791, he assisted <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/105">Andrew Ellicott </a>with a survey of the boundaries of the District of Columbia. Among his duties on the survey, <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/514">Banneker</a> operated the astronomical equipment which helped the surveyors determine their exact location. <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Benjamin+Banneker">Benjamin Banneker</a> Maryland Historical Society. <a href="http://www.mdhs.org/digitalimage/cover-benjamin-bannakers-sic-pennsylvania-delaware-maryland-and-virginia-almanac-year-1">View original</a>. <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=38&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Pre-1800s">Pre-1800s</a>