"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : BENJAMIN BRADLEY

During American Slavery, slaves were sometimes allowed to buy their “FREEDOM!” This Week’s Black Heritage Hero was able to do so in an “unusual fashion.” By using “mere ideas,”Benjamin Bradley was able to take common materials to “Invent,Build,and Sell”his steam-ship inventions, which enabled him to acquire funds for purchasing his “FREEDOM!” According to the Maryland State Manumission records, he bought his freedom for $1,000, and was emancipated from his owner( master ), John T. Hammond, on September 30, 1859, in Anne Arundel, Maryland. Benjamin Bradley[ who was also known as Benjamin Boardley ], was born a slave in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, in March 1836. Around the age of 16, young Benjamin showed that he was intelligent and was mechanically inclined when he was able to build a steam engine out of a gun barrel, pewter, round steel, and other materials. His master decided to get him a job working as a helper at the Department of Natural and Experimental Philosophy at the Naval Academy at Annapolis. Of course his master got paid the money that Benjamin earned{ but he did give Benjamin five dollars a month to keep for himself }. Benjamin ‘s professors at the naval academy were very impressed with his work. One of his professors( Professor Hopkins) even got his children to teach Benjamin how to read, write, and do math. While working at the naval academy, he built a steam engine and sold it to a Mid-shipman. With money that he had saved and from the money he got from the sale of his steam engine, he built another steam engine, which he sold to one of his classmates at the naval academy. Finally, with this money,he built “the first steam-powered warship in America!” Since he was a slave, Benjamin wasn’t allowed to apply for a patent of his invention. However, he used the proceeds from the sell of his steam-powered warship to complete the $1,000 dollars needed to buy his “FREEDOM” from his master! Benjamin Bradley died in 1904 and is buried at the Mashpee Town Cemetery in Massachusetts. In closing, I’m flabbergasted when I hear the mainstream media talk about how there is such a shortage of intelligent minded( S.T.E.M. ) young Black Workers & Students in America. Just because they want to use measuring standards that make Blacks appear to be inferior and incapable of handling the job requirements for the high-paying positions that they really don’t want Blacks to have in the first place! Just look what Benjamin Bradley was able to accomplish with “no formal schooling, no college degrees, and very little experience!”