Benjamin Banneker was primarily self-taught. The son of former slaves, as a free man Benjamin worked on the family tobacco farm and received some early education from a Quaker school. At age 15 young Banneker took over the farm and invented an irrigation system to control water flow to the crops from nearby springs. As a result of Banneker's innovation, the farm flourished – even during droughts. Throughout his lifetime Banneker wore many hats– as a farmer, mathematician, astronomer, author, and surveyor.