The American Dream In The 1700's

Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography is an inspiring tale of his personal, as well as public achievement throughout his life. Franklin’s life embodies the exemplary model of a life composed of discipline, self-reliance and self improvement. From his humble beginnings as an apprentice candle and soap maker in his father’s business to a successful business man, author, philosopher, civil activist, politician scientist, inventor, and diplomat, above all Benjamin Franklin was, and still is, an American Icon and truly a pioneer of the American Dream.

As a founding father of the United States, Benjamin Franklin had a profound and noteworthy influence on the early growth of his nation. Franklin was a prestigious author and inventor that grasped the motive to grow the economy to new heights. His autobiography is an accurate representation of his achievements and the intrinsic motivations that made him the man we think of today. Although it is biased because he writes it only through his eyes, the reader can see the differences he made to the well-being of the United States of America throughout his life. Throughout his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin draws a vivid image of the many contributions he made to society through community service events while at the same time staying true to his virtues that guided his character. He changed society through the improvement of education, healthcare, transportation, and numerous other community projects throughout his lifetime.

His autobiography is the first example of the completion of the American Dream. Franklin talks about his life history as an example to exemplify the most significant American character and principles, like strength of mind, self-reliance, determination, hard work, penny-pinching, and dependence on a code of moral principles are the elements of achievement. He describes how he became an excellent citizen through lack of money and steady assiduousness. Franklin established the potential of life in the New World through his own rise of the social classes. His family was poor when he was a child, but despite that, he became a very rich and influential man. In addition, he declares that he pulled off his achievements through a diligent work ethic. He showed that even ordinary people in Boston possibly would, through industry, turn out to be great people of significance in America.

Franklin, himself climbed the ranks society “having emerged from the poverty and obscurity in which [he] was born and bred to a state of affluence and some degree of reputation in the world” (Franklin 27). He had been raised by a humble middle class family, not being promised much wealth or land, forcing him to make a name for himself. Franklin, a man of the enlightenment,

Just this small page revealed more to the reader than many other articles about Franklin can. A perfectionistic attitude within the usually glorified hero of America. He was very hard on himself, and clearly tried to live a frugal lifestyle. As a historic character who is often glorified, this human perspective was

One of the most inspiring founding fathers of the United State has left the world a legacy of his to his son. Often viewed as the ‘jack-of-all-trades”, Benjamin Franklin wrote his own autobiography to recall the major events of history as he took part in them, whether he was successful or a failure. His autobiography was written in three different periods in his lifetime: 1771 in England (7), 1783 at France (100), and 1788 in America (118).

Parts three and four are the business portions of The Autobiography. Part three, the longest of the four sections, began in 1788. This portion “marks a gradual change in focus from personal anecdotes and advice on virtue to a comparatively dry rendering of his public activities and Philadelphia’s political concerns” (Moss and Wilson 26). His change in topic, however, is not all boring. He describes his success in his everyday life. For example, Franklin discusses his jobs and, more in depth, the part he played in the French and Indian War. He also briefly talks about his inventions and experiments with electricity. All of his involvements back up the belief of his being a man of the Enlightenment period. He strived to succeed and never settled for less. This is evident in part four of The Autobiography. Franklin discusses his travels to England, where he acts as a financial advisor (Moss and Wilson 26).

Benjamin Franklin is revered as the American model, through his character, actions, thoughts and beliefs. Franklin always found a sense of pride and honor in being an American, rather than that of British aristocracy. Franklin became the embodiment of the American spirit. Not only his virtues, but also his life story shown through and is labeled as the true American character. He was pious, prudent, discreet and virtuous. Franklin’s sense of virtues was comparable to that of religious principles. He came

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

In spite of the fact that Franklin was hardly a puritan, he was nevertheless very much a child of the Puritans. This is not displayed merely in his promotion of the virtues, but in his abstaining from excessiveness in eating, drinking, conversation, or whatever. Franklin is strongly influenced with self-governance In numerous ways, this is, to someone coming to it for the first time, a very amazing book. Franklin is, of course, one of the most celebrated Americans who ever lived, and his credentials in a wide arrangement of endeavors are a part of American knowledge and popular history. A great deal of this knowledge and numerous of his accomplishments are missing from this account of his life. He never finished the autobiography, earlier in his life on account of the fact that he was too engaged with what he terms public employment’s, and later in life by virtue of the opium he was taking for kidney stones left him incapable to concentrate adequately. Had Franklin been able to write about every period of his life and all of his achievements, his autobiography would have been one of the most exceptional and outstanding documents every produced. It is astonishingly imperious. However, his record as an office-holder is stained by the use he made of his position to advance his relatives. He was one of the most important statesmen in the new America and was a historical figure who shaped our nations history. He was a very

Thesis: In his autobiography, Franklin is undoubtedly concerned with developing virtue and self-improvement, but relies on others as the primary frame of reference for his own progress, always measuring himself with others. This habit of comparison results in the development of vices as well as virtues.

Benjamin Franklin observed in 1747, “It has long been regretted as a misfortune to the youth of this province that we have no academy in which they might receive the accomplishment of a regular education,” instead of just perceiving that fact and being disappointed, Franklin decided to act. He noted that Massachusetts had Harvard, established 1636, and Virginia claimed William and Mary, established 1693, he did not want Pennsylvania to fall behind. This prompted him to write an anonymous pamphlet in 1747 entitled, Proposals relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania. The pamphlet argued for the necessity of a college and urged concerned citizens to donate money toward it. It was not until Franklin wrote his autobiography that the world knew it was he who wrote Proposals relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania.

With Benjamin Franklin’s ambition to see one day the glorious English Empire shifted to North America, specifically in Pennsylvania and to get rid of the proprietors, he envisages a single community that will embody Englishmen only. For that reason, Franklin is against massive immigration of Germans and the presence of African slaves which will fade the identity of a perfect English Empire. He becomes more optimistic of his vision when the Crown appoints him in 1753 as a postmaster at Williamsburg. Despite all the failures that he encounters from not passing solutions such as colonial union and the Albany Plan, Franklin still maintains his degree of confidence and loyalty to the mother country. Closer to his dream, he has been selected in

The essay will cover Benjamin Franklins reputation in modern society, his relationship with Catherine Ray Greene, his two families, and the importance of cleaning up Franklin’s reputation for posterity. Benjamin Franklin had quite a few women in his life. He had his wife, daughter, and women he would pick up when traveling. He was intrigued by the stereotypes that were portrayed on the role of women in society. His women ranged in age, but he advised those to choose older because older women are grateful. He was a supporter of equal education, but his reputation of sleeping with multiple of them would be hard to clean up.

It was the year 1706 in Boston, MA when Benjamin Franklin entered the world. Birthed after fourteen other siblings, Franklin's family structure is only one deciding factor in the way that this legendary tale pans out. A hero of American Revolution, this novel depicts 18th century realism accurately while logging Franklin's personal conception on human nature and social community. Many look at Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography as your typical rags to riches tale yet, the truth and falsehood throughout the pages is unknown, raising many questions and concerns. As this book was written in segments over a stretched period of time, we must analyze this account of his life, the struggles and successes which took place, and the outcome of such