Benjamin Bradley

Benjamin Bradley (March 1830 – 1904) was an American engineer and inventor. Benjamin's correct surname was Boardley, but since 1859 when the African Repository published an article wrongly spelling Benjamin's surname as Bradley, authors have written about him with the incorrect surname. Early life Benjamin Bradley was born a slave in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, in March 1830.  It has been theorized that he acquired literacy while learning from his master's children. According to the Maryland State Manumission records, Bradley's owner was John T. Hammond. As a teenager, Bradley worked at a printing office. He showed ingenuity and mechanical skills by the age of 16, when he built a steam engine out of a gun barrel, pewter, round steel, and other various materials. His master was impressed and was able to get him a job as a helper in the Department of Natural and Experimental Philosophy at the Naval Academy at Annapolis.