On My Own Biographies introduces beginning readers to some of history's most interesting and important people. These books focus on the pivotal episodes that show what kind of person the subject is (or was) and how he or she came to be famous. Each book is written in a story format but is not a fictionalized account. A chronology of major events follows the story, along with a brief summary of the subject's life. Gazing up at the stars, Benjamin Banneker longed to understand how and why things worked as they did. In a time when most black Americans were slaves, Banneker lived a life of freedom and became known as America's first black American man of science. He helped survey Washington, D.C., and became the first black American to write an almanac. Through his accomplishments, he helped advance the cause of equality for African Americans.