Benjamin Franklin's Role In The Scientific Revolution

When people think of science during the revolution, they most likely think of Benjamin Franklin. Most people see Benjamin Franklin as the man with the kite and key discovering electricity. These people are only seeing a fraction of what Benjamin Franklin has done. They will not realize all of the other areas that Franklin helped contribute. When looking at Benjamin Franklin in his full glory, people can see how much of an important player he was, not only in the revolution, but in his lifetime. Everything that he did was for the good of those people around him. Benjamin Franklin did more than people could ever expect. People may only think of him of the electricity guy, while he did work a lot with electricity, he dealt with so much more than

that. More than most people would ever believe he did.
When it comes to Benjamin Franklin there is more to him than most people think. Benjamin Franklin liked to tinker around with all sorts of different things. He was well versed in many different areas of life from dabbling in meteorology to geography to politics.
The most obvious thing people relate to Franklin is his experimenting in electricity. What some may not realize is that Franklin was not the only working on electricity at the time nor was he selfish with his experimentation. A contemporary of Franklin was Ebenzer Kinnersley. While it may not be apparent how close they were, it is obvious that they did share some data and swap knowledge in the field of electricity. It can be seen in this letter shared between the two of these people that they are texting different electrical properties on water. Franklin talks about how one of his experiments is similar to one of Kinnersley’s and proceed to explain what Franklin did and the outcome of what his experiments produced. The one Franklin tried to do was to see if negative electricity was produced by evaporation, while Kinnersley tried to communicate positive electricity by vapor ascending from electrified water. Franklin goes on to talk more about the various experiments both him and Kinnersley performed on electricity and water.
Continuing on the theme of Franklin experimenting with electricity, there is another brief letter that was written by Franklin in response to an experiment done by Walsh. It has been noticed that there is a “…sudden violent muscular Motion…” that is given by the torpedo fish or more commonly known as an eel (Franklin, Instructions for testing the Torpedo Fish). This letter that was not likely written to Walsh during the process of the experimentation on the Torpedo Fish since this letter was dated about a month after Walsh reported on his experimentation. It was, however, likely to be similar to any correspondence that was shared between the two of them during the experimentation on the fish since it is known the Franklin did play a role in helping Walsh with his experimentation. It also has some similarities with letters that Franklin wrote later after this experimentation. It may be concluded that this somewhat of a first draft to some later writings of his.
In the letter he talks about the various methods that he knows which one could use to test the fish to see if it is in fact using electrical current to cause the jerking motion. He talks about the ways that it is possible to see whether or not it is by electricity or not. Maybe you can see a spark in the dark or a snap is heard. Other experiments that he talks about it his letter consist of multiple people joining hands and touching the fish, with some variations to that experiment. After he talks about the various experiments, the letter just seems like an unfinished thought. It just ended abruptly, showing even more so how it could be a rough draft of some later work.
There is a page of drawings that Franklin produced (image 1) that shows some of the various ways that he thought of to test electricity. One of the devices that he illustrates is a series of bottles, wires, wax, block, books, and a sheet of gold. He uses this set up to test the movant of electricity from one place to another place. Another one of his drawing consist of a man standing on some wax inside some sort of box in order to draw electricity to him to test, what can only be assumed, is what sort of materials do and do not conduct electricity and lightning in order that one could protect themselves in storms and when working with electricity. The image is take out of a book written by Benjamin Franklin entitled Experiments and Observations on Electricity Made at Philadelphia in America. In this book written by Franklin, he talks not only about this one image the he drew, but a variety of the other experiment designs that he drew relating to electricity. In this book he also talks about the use that fire places and the necessity that they are in the northern colonies. He describes in details some of the fire places already used, such as how they draw in oxygen, manage the smoke, and the flue that is used in it. He then goes on after that to describe the new fire places that are created and how they be more beneficial, since they cut down on the amount of wood that is need for it. This is a major worry, because since they have been in North America for so long, they are having to go progressively farther away from town in order to get wood to use.
Franklin was not only into electricity, albeit it did play a major role in his life.

Franklin was a very curious man, he studied or experimented whatever he found curious at the time. One such occasion was when franklin was returning to London in June of 1771. This letter that was written by Franklin to Thomas Percival. This is believed to be the beginning of Franklins interest in meteorology or, simpler put, the formation of raindrops. While he was not the first one to be interested in raindrops, as it was “discovered” two years in the past, Franklin had taken a keen interest it. As has been seen already, Franklin is working with another contemporary of his to work out this problem. Percival had written Franklin describing his theory about the formation and falling of raindrops. Franklin is than in this letter replying with a response to Percival’s theory along with his own. Franklin accepted Percival’s theory in the fact that rainfall amount depends on altitude because of the increasing size of rain drops. What he did disagree on though was how the rain drops got bigger. Percival believes that it has to do with positively and negatively charged water particles attracting while Franklin believes that it is due to water vapor being attracted to falling water droplets. Looking at this it is obvious that Franklin was not merely focused on electricity for two main reasons. He is interested in rain drops and their formation, secondly, he rejects Percival’s theory that water droplets are positively and negatively charged and that’s why they

attract.
So far these examples have looked and what most may consider scientific fields. This example however may take a look at a side of Benjamin Franklin some may not have expected: the musical side. Franklin writes a letter to one of his friends, Reverend John Baptist Beccaria, before returning back to his “native country” of America. He is talking about a Glass Armonica (Harmonica, image 2). He mentions how he has heard and seen a few different variations of this instrument, only not as organized as his. The only ones that he has seen we people using drinking glasses to produce music. He loved the sound of this and wanted to make up something a little more practical, so that one man could use it in a convenient small space. After a few trials franklin came up with something that had “… tones … incomparably sweet beyond those of any other that they may be swelled and softened at pleaser by stronger or weaker pressures of the finger, and continued to any length; and that the instrument, being once well tuned, never again wants tuning.” (Franklin, Sparks 250) Music is a far way away from what is generally considered science. The only science that is involved in this is the creation of the Armonica, which Franklin named it in honor of his friend. The point of this article is to show the vast range of things that Franklin was interested in.
Going along with the vast range of things that Franklin was interested in was his interest in wine. He once again is using his scientific background to enhance something out of everyday life. In a letter that he wrote to Grey Cooper (supposedly, not confirmed) Franklin talks about how he used Finely Powered Bark into a bottle of wine and let it sit for 24 hours, “… in which time it will have given to the Wine a sufficient Quantity if its Virtue…” (From Franklin to Grey Cooper). This shows how that although Franklin is often looked to for his achievements in science, namely with electricity, he makes time to have fun with the small pleasures in life and take time for himself.
On top of all these other things Franklin somehow found time to run a newspaper. In fact, he had always been interested in doing so. When he was 15 his brother started a newspaper in Boston. His brother would not let him write for the paper, so Franklin eventually ran off and started his own paper in Pennsylvania after a time, the Pennsylvania Gazette, and it was very popular among the people. This was one of the first things that Franklin did, even before his scientific discoveries and inventions. It is apparent that Franklin was not only interested in his scientific discoveries.
Among many of his other civic contributions during the 1730’s and 40’s Franklin organized a fire prevention system. In 1736 he created the Philadelphia’s Union Fire Company, the first on of its kind in the city. He noticed how fires were very dangerous to people and that there was not good way to prevent the fire. He also noticed that people who suffered damage to their homes suffered great loss and had no real way to gain back anything that they lost. In1752 he created the Philadelphia Contribution for Insurance Against Loss by Fire to helps those regain what they lost. These two examples are great things to look at to show just how into helping the community Franklin was. He was not only interested in his own experimentation and designs, he wanted to help those around him and make life better for everyone.
After looking at many different sources it becomes apparent that Benjamin Franklin was more than meets the eye. He took on more than just electricity. He investigated some of the most important topics of the time which lead to more improvements and discoveries, all because of what he started. If Benjamin Franklin had not been so motivated and inspired who knows what we would or would not have today. We may not have a more advanced stove, it may have been decades before there was even a thought about creating any sort of fire prevention system, people may never have been informed via newspaper what was happening in the world. Franklin played a major role in the scientific field. After looking at all this it is obvious that people should look at Benjamin Franklin more fondly than they have in the past.