Benjamin Banneker was inspired by his parents, as well as by his community and the natural world. His parents, Robert and Molly Banneker, provided him with a strong educational foundation and encouraged him to pursue his intellectual interests. The Banneker family was part of a close-knit community of free African Americans in Baltimore, Maryland, who valued education and self-improvement. Banneker was also greatly inspired by the natural world, and spent much of his time observing and studying the natural phenomena that occurred in his environment. He believed that the natural world reflected the divine order and the wisdom of God, and that by studying nature he could gain a better understanding of the world and his place in it.