In January of 1706 the future of America was changed forever with the birth of Benjamin Franklin. Born in Boston, Massachusetts Ben was the son of Josiah Franklin and Abiah Folger, Ben was the youngest son of 17 children. Josiah was a soap maker and he wanted Benjamin to enter the clergy. Ben went to South Grammar School where he excelled, he even skipped a grade. Unfortunately with such a large family, Josiah was unable to afford the education that it took to become a clergyman. Ben only had the luxury of formal schooling for just a few short years. Ben began working for his father and was bored quickly. Ben had a strong interest for everything and he wanted to learn and know it all. He tried other work options but none of which panned …show more content…
He also became a member of the Masons and was socially active. By 1733, he started the writings of Poor Richard 's Almanac. These almanacs were created under another alias, Richard Saunders. Many of Franklin 's famous quotes came from these almanacs. In the A few of these quotes are, "Well done is better than well said" (Benjamin Franklin.PBS) or one of his most famous "A friend in need is a friend indeed!" (Benjamin Franklin.PBS). In the midst of all adventures and endeavors he managed to find time to marry his childhood sweetheart, Deborah Read and have a son that he named William. His dedication to helping society continued with the development of the Library Company in 1731. The average person could not afford books, not to mention they were hard to come by, so Ben managed to use his resources to start the first ever subscription library. He became the clerk of the assembly of Pennsylvania in 1736 and by 1737 he was the postmaster of Philadelphia ("Benjamin Franklin"). His contributions did not stop with the library, he started the American Philosophical Society, The Pennsylvania Hospital and the Philadelphia 's Union Fire Company. From the development of the fire company, he started the Philadelphia Contribution for Insurance Against Loss by Fire. Most of these groups are still active today. The University of Pennsylvania was another one of Ben 's
In 1731 he established one of the first subscription libraries in America, the Library Company of Philadelphia., under the pen name Richard Saunders. He also helped to found the first firehouse, Philadelphia's Union Fire Company and an insurance company, the Philadelphia Contribution for Insurance Against Loss by Fire. In 1737, Ben was appointed deputy postmaster of Philadelphia.
When he was working for his brother, Benjamin was the apprentice of booksellers. While working for his brother all he really was giving to eat and drink was often only had a glass of water, handful of raisin and a slice of bread to eat.
Franklin also gave many examples to the reader of his autobiography to practice diligence in minding the company they keep and gave much advice about keeping away from questionable establishments and having nothing to do with scoundrels. He made points to make friendships with people that were of good reputation, men who as himself had interest in education and industry and in his youth many older men whose advice he regarded before many life altering
In our American history many figures have left their mark, and are remembered still today. Benjamin Franklin was as famous as any president, but yet never elected to public office. He was one of the nation’s revolutionary founding fathers of all time. Benjamin Franklin was a respected hero of America of many talents and accomplishments. First of all, Benjamin Franklin was born at Boston in 1706. He was the tenth sibling in the family. He was the son of a soap and candle maker. Josiah would father seventeen children in total after having two wives. Franklin had received some education while young, but would continue learn self-taught (Quick Biography of Benjamin Franklin.) The boy then would serve working with his father. Franklin went later to work for his brother James as a printer (Benjamin Franklin His Autobiography 1706-1757.) After helping his brother making pamphlets and other activities. He then would start to sell the products in the streets. When Franklin was fifteen the New England Courant was founded. The first newspaper more or less in Boston. While other news came reprinted from abroad. The New England Courant held articles of opinions, advertisements, and ship schedules. Benjamin also wanted to write for the paper; yet he know his brother would not let him (Quick Biography of Benjamin Franklin.) He cleverly began writing letters and signing them with an alias name. Franklin would submit and leave the letters at night at the print shop. In
Massachusetts Bay Colony. Later on in life he died in April 17, 1790, Philadelphia, PA. Franklin attended
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).
Having been born in the first month of the year 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin has been regarded an iconic figure not only in the history of America but as well as the world.1 Although he had a deep passion for reading, he could only manage to attend school for two years. He then joined his brother at the age of 12 in apprenticeship at a shop. At the age of 15 people were reading his very first newspaper in Boston. It is after his letters had become a hit that he declared to be the writer. His brother, James, got furious about his writing so he had to run away to Philadelphia at the age of 17. His love for experiments could be seen at an early age for he carried out an experiment on kites during a lighting storm. This one was in regards to lighting and power. Franklin was a famous politician as well as a civil activist during the Enlightenment Era that took place in North America. He was widely known as he played his role as the Ambassador to France and the effort he made to acquire French military assistance when the American Revolution was ongoing. Among other achievements, Benjamin was among the Founding Fathers that put their signatures for the Declaration of Independence besides helping in the drafting of the United States Constitution. Besides being approachable and self-effacing, Benjamin Franklin was an extremely brilliant person.2 he was first a businessman as well as a scientist although he later got involved in civics and politics.
Benjamin Franklin is one of our most famous figures in the American Revolution. However, he was not just a founding father, but worked outside of politics as a writer and inventor, which made him the man he was.What did this man achieve? How did he indirectly save lives? Read on to find out. HEY GUYS HE COULD SPEAK FRENCH ALSO
Benjamin Franklin was an American printer and publisher, author, inventor, scientist, and who was a diplomat born on January 17th 1706 and died in Philadelphia on April 17th 1790. Franklin was one of ten sons of seventeen children of a man by the name of Josiah who was a soap and candle maker and mother by the name of Abiah, a discrete and virtuous woman (Van Doren 7). Ben was raised in a Puritan heritage household which they had left to avoid England's Restoration Era of 1683. Franklin had a blend of Puritan heritage, Enlightenment philosophy, and New World environment ideals. Ben Franklin had a fascination public and interpersonal life. Franklin's life consisted of his reflections of his own behaviors and
He was a writer, diplomat, American printer, philosopher, and scientist. “Franklin recognized at a very young age his own weaknesses, as well as the weaknesses of others that led to their failures” (Murphy n.d.). The most valuable part of Franklin's autobiography may have been his description of his self-improvement project. Coming from such a considerably large family of siblings, and his father being a poor candle and soap maker is what started Franklin on his journey to self-improvement. With fewer than two years of education, he started his life as a young boy on his own. The key points that he represents in his autobiography are not only for his own self-improvement, but they are beneficial to anyone who reads them. There were thirteen written moral virtues that Ben Franklin addressed in his autobiography. Based on these virtues Franklin does an outstanding job of portraying a man who has acquired the importance of morality. While he did not perfect them himself, Franklin states “that he was never able to live the virtues perfectly, but felt he had become a better and happier man for having made the attempt” (Brett & Kate McKay n.d.).
In The Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin recounts the many paramount experiences throughout his life that shaped him into great American figure he was known to be. On the opening page, Franklin reveals the book’s epistolary format by writing, “Dear Son,” going on to admit that he’s made some mistakes in the past and to recollect that past is a way to relive it. By divulging his desire to “change some sinister Accidents & Events” (Franklin 3) the author indicates how important it is for his son to observe as he amends his mistakes. Pride, virtue and vanity play a pivotal role in Benjamin Franklin’s life and the way he portrays himself to others. Instances occur where the author is shown gloating about his great accomplishments and he puts
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.
Franklin was involved in many well-known public projects. In 1731 he founded what was probably the first public library in America, chartered in 1742 as the Philadelphia Library. He first published Poor Richard’s Almanack in 1732, under the pen name Richard Saunders. This volume quickly gained a reputation for its practical wisdom. In 1736 Franklin became clerk of the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the next year he became the deputy postmaster of Philadelphia. About this time, he organized the first fire company in that city and introduced methods and ideas for the improvement of street paving and lighting. Always interested in scientific studies, he devised a means to correct undue smoking of chimneys and invented, around 1744, the Franklin stove, which furnished greater heat with a reduced consumption of fuel.
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
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin has many things, but maybe more than anything else about Benjamin Franklin it explains about him being a politician, and there is no more reason to look out for an unbiased autobiography from Franklin than from any other politician. This Franklin is a persona, a conscious literary creation bestowed for our contention One of Franklin’s virtues is humbleness, and his humbleness comes out in the form of his book. His narrative is extremely informal, not only in the first part, which was seemingly addressed to his son, however in the later sections the autobiography was controlled upon four separate occasions. The informal nature of the book exhibits Franklin’s intended humility, and