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Most people did not have—or pay attention to—clocks. They marked their days by the rising and setting sun, phases of the moon, and cycles of hunger and sleep. They ordered their lives by the changing seasons, religious observances, and recurring births and deaths. Those who did think of time in terms of a clock set the hour by the sun or stars. |
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To keep track of time, many people used an almanac. Its elaborate tables of astronomical, seasonal, and religious events provided a useful way to mark time. And its directives on the proper time to do all manner of things—from planting crops to celebrating holidays—reflected the way many people organized their lives.
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Almanack, 1792; with ephemeris (astronomical tables) by Benjamin Banneker, a free African American farmer who used his knowledge of astronomy and mathematics to project the dates and times of celestial events—sunrises and sunsets, the moon’s progress, the appearance of planets and major stars, and eclipses.
Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution Libraries |
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