February is Black History Month. Each day one historical fact will be shared from the time period of 1492 - 2000, in 25 year increments. 

Today's fact

1751 – 1775

In 1754, Benjamin Banneker, the son of free Blacks, builds the first clock made entirely in America, even though he had never seen one!  He is hailed as the first Black scientist and is instrumental in the planning of the District of Columbia.  In 1769, Thomas Jefferson introduced a bill in VA’s House of Burgesses calling for the emancipation of all slaves, but it was defeated.  Britain abolished slavery in 1772 but no attempt was made to transmit this law to the Colonies.  The Revolutionary War officially began in 1775.