Benjamin Banneker's letter to Thomas Jefferson and Jefferson's response

Letter Paraphrasing

Banneker's Letter to Jeferson:

Dear Sir

I am aware that it might seem a little forward for me to write to you in such a direct manner, especially seeing as how you hold the high position of Secretary of State in our new nation, where as I am the member of a community that is traditionally denied its rights to voice an opinion.

I am sure that I don't need to remind you of the truth of my situation; we have toiled for others and endured physical and political abuse for it; we are looked down on, and considered closer to animals than men, and I know many believe that we are not capable of complex rational thought.

With all respect, I have heard that you are less harsh in your thoughts to my people, and that indeed you have shown us kindnesses whenever possible, both in helping us to advance our situation and address grievances that have occurred and our still occurring. If what I have heard is true, then surely you will be glad of another opportunity to help us in throwing off the mistaken and irrational notion that we are somehow different and inferior to you, and in helping us to establish the fact that we are all God's children and equal in the eyes of the Lord.

If you are already convinced in these ideas, then you must acknowledge that it is the duty of every free Christian man to extend the privileges of Christian freedom to every part of humanity, regardless of race, color, or current situation. I have taken notice of the laws upon which this country was founded, and the spirit of freedom that exists in them and the men like yourself who wrote them, and if the sentiments as expressed were meant truly and completely, then surely you cannot disagree that they apply to each and every person of this land equally, and that it must be incumbent upon you to make every possible effort to ensure that this is achieved.

It is true that I am black -- very black, in fact -- but I am lucky enough not to be enslaved like so many other black men are, for which I am very thankful. You are also not enslaved, and I hope that you view your freedom with as much thanks to the Divine Will as I do.

I hope you will allow me to remind you of a time not too long ago when the British Crown attempted to subjugate you to their service much as you now subjugate my black brethren. If you look back at the time, and remember how impossible your situation seemed, then you cannot be anything but grateful in the miracle of your deliverance from that situation.

Looking back on this situation, you will also be able to reflect on your attitude to such unjust servitude at the time; this was a time when you and your brethren understood its injustices and publicly declared that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." In saying this, you made it clear how much you loved and appreciated freedom, and it is a shame to see you now part of a system that denies this freedom to others in a way that your own words considers criminal and unjust.

I will not bore you with the details of our situation, with which I am sure you are well acquainted, and likewise I will not recommend a course of action to correcting these injustices. I will encourage you, however, to put yourself in our place, and determine if you would deem this life fair, just, and reasonable from our perspective, and you will need no external instruction. In fact, it was not my intention to out this case to you so extensively, but merely to present you with the enclosed Almanac which I have compiled.