Benjamin Franklins: The Bifocals, Poor Richards Almanac

The primary source being discussed is an excerpt from the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. It was written by Benjamin Franklin discussing the philosophical developments of the Enlightenment, and its implication into his life. Being an autobiography, this selection was published in a book, and was written by its subject. Franklin was a very influential part of the Enlightenment in the colonies, which makes this selection very relevant. This article was written with the intent to further educate the colonists on the Enlightenment and Franklin’s belief.

He was one of the most important and most prominent founders of the United States. The character was a political satire, scientist and inventor, statesman and diplomat. He was a key figure in the enlightenment and history of physics, where his experiences, theories and discoveries related to physics. Lightning arrester, invented bifocals bifocal and odometer and the Franklin stove and it is the first to have invented the word electricity, he first studied scientifically after Thales ' power in the era of the

     First published by Benjamin Franklin in 1732, “Poor Richard’s Almanack” was a guide to both weather forecasts and wise sayings. Franklin used the pseudonym Richard Saunders in writing the text, which became an annual publication up until 1757. Response to the almanac was tremendous, and it sold as many as 10,000 issues a year. Second only to the bible, “Poor Richard’s Almanack” was one of the most popular and purchased publications in colonial America. The almanac stressed the two qualities Franklin found to be essential to success, industry and frugality. Benjamin Franklin wrote this in hope of having a positive effect on the colonies.

Ben Franklin was a very curious and inventive thinker. He kept thinking about different ways to experiment with electricity so he came up with an experiment with only a few materials (wire,mobile kite, handkerchief,and two sticks).(”Benjamin Franklin and Electricity”) Franklin

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.

To continue with, he was living a poor life and did not really have a way to fix it until he ran away from his brother and he formed a group called Junto. “Junto is a selected group of artisans who met regularly to discuss philosophical and practical matters as well as dine and drink” (pg.6). Proposals were made from this group and they tried to clean the streets more. They also tried to make a library, fire company and fire insurance company. In 1732 Benjamin Franklin published his first almanack under a fake name; the name he used was Richard Saunders which he kept the name for over twenty-five years. He tried to make the book entertaining and useful. In 1749, Benjamin Franklin became the sixth president of the United States. Becoming president shows how hardworking he was because he came from having nothing in his name to becoming the president.

Benjamin Franklin was born January 17, of the year 1706, in Boston, MA, which was the

Sometime in 1784 Benjamin Franklin was traveling from one location to another. He loved to read while he was traveling. One day he noticed that he was quite inconvenienced every time he had to switch from his reading glasses to his other glasses and every time he wanted looked up at the scenery outside the window (Isaacson 426). He then decided to see his optician. He told his optician to cut out a half section of glass from his eyeglasses he used to see in the distance and then to cut a half section from his eyeglasses to see close up. He then combined the two half lenses together in one eyeglass. He wanted the farsighted section to be on top

Benjamin Franklin’s life made a huge impact on the history of America. He also was an influence for many citizens. Since Franklin lived during the eighteenth century, a period of growth for America, he also played a part in the political founding of the United States. To help future generations, Franklin wrote an autobiography of his life. An autobiography is a piece of literature about someone’s own life. He separates his into four parts, each one depicting a different phase of his life. In The Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin, the author uses his life events to describe values and ways of life that every man should believe and follow.

The kite experiment influenced by the works of other great scientists such as Isaac Newton and Joseph Addison, Franklin wrote his most important scientific work: Experiments and Observations on Electricity. The kite experiment of Benjamin Franklin was to tie a kite with a metal skeleton thread, with its lower end attached to a key. Taking advantage of a thunderstorm, he noted that, trace the comet, electricity is led from the kite to the key, charging outlet. From this, Franklin showed that the clouds were electrically charged and lightning we see are these electrical discharges. Among the inventions of Benjamin Franklin is the lightning conductor, produced from the just mentioned discovery. The lightning rod installed quickly across the country and was a commercial success

Benjamin Franklin realized that if a piece of silk were rubbed against a glass, the glass would have a positive charge what was then known as the massachusetts bay. Ben learned to read at an early age and despite his success at the boston latin school, he formal schooling at to work full-time in his cash-strapped father’s candle and soap shop. Perhaps to dissuade him from going to sea as one of his brothers had done, josiah apprenticed Ben at 12 to his brother james at his print shop. He is very very wise and his father always near him and near chicken accepted in all his father deal.

Benjamin Franklin is revered by Americans as one of its most revered and adored founding fathers. For foreigners, Benjamin Franklin became the very icon of America, not only because he was accomplished, but because he was a new man, a man that could only have been made in America. Franklin came to be seen as the embodiment of American values.

In Part 2, Franklin tells his son of his Quaker friend who questioned the author’s humility and suggests an addition to his list of virtues. Franklin, then a quasi-scientist of virtue, made a point of illustrating charts that mapped his progress in “acquir[ing] the Habitude of all these Virtues” (81). This Quaker insinuates that Franklin is too proud, which shakes the author’s hubris enough to inspire him to prove the Quaker wrong. After a mediocre effort to achieve Humility, which he could not “boast of much Success” (89), Franklin concludes that there is no harder human trait to suppress than Pride and it will inevitably show itself. Even though Benjamin’s willpower is portrayed with great

​Benjamin Franklin is different in both these sources. "On a visit to Boston in the summer of 1743, Franklin happened to be entertained one evening by a traveling scientific showman from Scotland named Dr. Archibald Spencer." "Benjamin Franklin’s first published writings came when he was only 16. They were written under an assumed name.He created an alter ego named Silence Dogood." In Introducing Silence Dogood, Franklin it shown as a write. In Franklin the Scientist Benjamin Franklin is shown as a scientific showman. Two completely different sides of Benjamin Franklin. In the first source he is shown as a writer that just wants to show his ideas, and in the second source he also wants to show his ideas and show people the truth. Both of these

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a detailed account of the illustrious experiences of Benjamin Franklin. Though the cultural differences in writing has changed since the 18th century one can learn a lot about one of America’s greatest forefathers through this book. It accounts for Franklin’s life when he was born January 17th, 1706 till the year 1757. Unfortunately, he died in 1790 and was never able to finish his autobiography. However, the book thoroughly details the early life of Benjamin Franklin.