Cerami, Charles A

Chronicles the life of Benjamin Banneker, providing information on his extraordinary mathematical and analytical abilities, his photographic memory, his role in the planning of Washinton, D.C., and his "Banneker's Almanac," which was celebrated for the accuracy of the celestial movements it provided navigators and its weather forecasts.

Tells the story of the political machinations that were behind the Louisiana Purchase, discussing the negotiations between Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon Bonaparte, and Jefferson's attempts to convince the French military leader that the U.S. was prepared to go to war for New Orleans.