At 22, Banneker took one look at a functioning pocket watch and created a striking clock from wood. The clock was so well crafted that it ran up to 50 years without a power source. Many historians believed that Banneker’s clock is the first one made entirely in the USA.
His Relationship with the Ellicots
The Ellicots were a group of business owners that built gristmills in the 1770s around Maryland. Banneker was befriended by the family and the relationship had a great impact on his life. In 1788, Banneker used books and tools from the family to accurately predict the time of a solar eclipse. This event made him famous and brought him some local fame.
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