# @mdhistory on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/COxw5zPLXtj
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/19780755-mdhistory-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/ede2887686.jpg
- **Posted:** 2021-05-12T15:15:09.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) (@mdhistory) — https://gondola.cc/mdhistory

## Caption

#DidYouKnow farmer and astronomer Benjamin Banneker made some of the earliest known recordings of the brood of cicadas that emerge every 17 years in Maryland? In 1800 in his Astronomical Journal (housed within the Maryland Center for History and Culture's library collection), he wrote about observing the cicadas, or locusts as he called them, over a span of 51 years of his life. Read his entry here:

"The first great Locust year that I can Remember was 1749. I was then about Seventeen years of age when thousands of them came and was creeping up the trees and bushes, I then immagined they came to eat and destroy the fruit of the Earth, and would occation a famine in the land, I therefore began to kill and destroy them, but I soon Saw that my labour was in vain, therefore gave over my pretension. Again in the year 1766, which is Seventeen years after their first appearance to me, they made a Second, and appeared to me to be full as numerous as the first. I then being about thirty four years of age I had more Sence than to endeavour to destroy them, knowing that they was not so pernicious to the fruit of the Earth as I did immagine they would be. Again in the year 1783 which was Seventeen years Since their second appearance to me they made their third and they may be expected again in they year 1800 which is Seventeen Since their third appearance to me. So that if I may venture so to express it, their periodical return is Seventeen years, but they like the Comets make but a short stay with us–The female has a Sting in her tail as sharp and hard as a thorn with which she perforates the brances of the trees and in them holes lays eggs, the branch soon dies and fall, then the egg by some Occult cause immerges a great depth into the earth and there continues for the Space of Seventeen years as aforesaid."

Learn more about the Astronomical Journal by visiting the "Explore Our Digital Collections" link in our bio.

#MarylandHistory #MDHistory #Cicadas #CicadaSeason  #BroodX #BenjaminBanneker #DYK

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## Tags

mdhistory, marylandhistory, broodx, benjaminbanneker, dyk, didyouknow, cicadaseason, cicadas

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