Thomas Fuller the Enslaved Math Genius

Thomas Fuller by Physics In History

Meet Thomas Fuller, an enslaved African man, often called "Negro Demus" or the "Virginia Calculator." Born around 1710 in Africa, he was kidnapped and brought to America at age 14. Despite never learning to read or write, Thomas had an unbelievable talent for math that amazed everyone who saw it.

His mathematical feats quickly became famous, spreading across the East Coast of the United States and even reaching places like France and Germany. These stories were important for the movement to end slavery, as they showed clearly that Black people were not less intelligent than white people. Here are some examples of the amazing things he could figure out:

Seconds in a Year and a Half

When asked how many seconds there are in a year and a half, Fuller answered in about two minutes: 47,304,000.

Seconds Lived by a 70-Year-Old

When asked how many seconds a person who is seventy years, seventeen days, and twelve hours old has lived, Fuller responded in a minute and a half: 2,210,500,800.

Initially, one of the gentlemen corrected him, claiming the sum was not as great as he had said. Fuller quickly replied, "Top, massa, you forget de leap year." When the seconds of the leap years were added, the total matched exactly.

Sows and Pigs Problem

Fuller was asked: "Suppose a farmer has six sows, and each sow has six female pigs in the first year. If they all increase in the same proportion for eight years, how many sows will the farmer have?"

In just ten minutes, Fuller answered: 34,588,806.

His abilities left a lasting impact, demonstrating the power of the human mind regardless of race or background. Thomas Fuller's story serves as a testament to the resilience and brilliance of enslaved individuals who overcame immense challenges to contribute to our understanding of mathematics and humanity.

Sources:

1. Thomas Fuller (mental calculator). (2023, December 22). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Fuller_%28mental_calculator%29
2. J J O'Connor and E F Robertson. (2005, August). Thomas Fuller - Biography [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Fuller_Thomas/
3. Thomas Fuller (Ca. 1710–1790). (2023, September 6). In Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved from https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/fuller-thomas-ca-1710-1790/
4. Physics In History. (2023, September 23). Thomas Fuller the mental calculator [Graphics]. Retrieved from https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F6ZGo4ybwAAmJVN?format=jpg&name=medium