Benjamin Franklin: Founding Father and Inventor Extraordinaire

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Benjamin Franklin is considered to be the most well-known Founding Father, as he helped in writing the Declaration of Independence and the very first Constitution of the United States. Who was he other than a man who fought for colonist’s rights however? He was a brilliant inventor who created many innovating and life changing mechanisms such as the world’s very first almanac, bifocals, and the lightning rod. Although he was never elected the role of President of the United States, he played several other parts, such as the first postmaster general for the colonies in addition to being an ambassador to France. As a young man working for his father’s candle shop, Benjamin Franklin soon made his way up to be one of history’s greatest figures. …show more content…

In 1748, he had slaves working in his home and print shop. During that time, Franklin began to find the act he was participating in cruel and inhumane. By 1760, he had freed most of his slaves. Franklin aided as the leader of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, and wrote many tracts urging the abolishment of servitude. While he was a member of Philadelphia’s city council and the justice of the peace, the French and Indian war was amidst. He helped unite and group all of the colonies together, to defend against the French. After the war, Franklin negotiated through many of his disputes with the proprietors of Pennsylvania, which ultimately led him to spend more time in London for two whole decades, and later return to Pennsylvania in …show more content…

During the 1740’s, Franklin led many advances in science and entrepreneurship. He invented various types of gadgets from instruments ranging from the armonica, rocking chair, flexible catheter, American penny, to conducting the famous kite-and-key experiment which proved that lightning was electricity. His outstanding research and work in these subjects led his 1743 “A Proposal for Promoting Useful Knowledge” brochure to become the establishing document of the American Philosophical Society which made him easily the richest man in Pennsylvania by the time he was 42 years

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