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Benjamin Franklin : An Archetypal American

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It is easy to see Benjamin Franklin was no doubt an archetypal American. No one since him has ever had the same amount of success as him. He was a private businessman who made enough money to retire early and to spend the rest of his life in politics. Around this time period only the rich were able to retire early. He was industrious. Franklin continually put forth the idea of the industrious American. He had support from the middle-class who did not care if he was rich but he was a man who was self-made and worked hard. This American attitude was formed early and most of it by him. Franklin was also not judgmental came to decisions and conclusions as a businessman and politician. However, his attitude was non-judgmental with respect to a …show more content…

In 1729, Franklin became the owner and publisher of a colonial newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, which proved popular–and to which he contributed much of the content, often using fake names. Franklin achieved fame and further financial success with “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” which he published every year from 1733 to 1758. The almanac became known for its humorous sayings, which often had to do with the importance of being careful. As Franklin’s printing business prospered, he became more involved in civic affairs. Starting in the 1730s, he helped establish a number of community organizations in Philadelphia. This includes a lending library, the city’s first fire company, a police patrol and the American Philosophical Society, a group devoted to the sciences and other scholarly pursuits. Franklin also organized the Pennsylvania militia, raised funds to build a city hospital and spearheaded a program to pave and light city streets. Also Franklin was instrumental in the creation of the Academy of Philadelphia, a college which opened in 1751 and became known as the University of Pennsylvania in 1791. Franklin also played an important role in the colonial postal system. In 1737, the British appointed him postmaster of Philadelphia, and he went on to become a postmaster general for all the American colonies. In this role he instituted various measures to improve mail service. However, the British dismissed him from

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