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The autobiography of benjamin franklin essay
The autobiography of benjamin franklin essay
Autobiography of ben franklin
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Throughout the course of the 18th century, New England had undergone a series of political, social, economic, and religious changes that began to shape a new way of life. Those who lived during this time of rapid growth and development succumbed to changes in all aspects of every day life. Through the readings of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Franklin reiterates such changes in New England society throughout his own personal experiences.
One of the most significant changes that occurred during 18th century New England included the generational split between those who were of the elder population versus those of a younger generation. New ideas and attitudes that did not stem from traditional Puritan beliefs often caused tension and
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pressure within families and communities. Benjamin Franklin discusses such pressure from his family throughout his autobiography. From the very beginning of the section of his book, Franklin discusses his dislike for the trade he was put in through his fathers business, and “had a strong inclination for the sea, but my father declared against it” (Franklin 4). Such lack of support from his father shows traditional Puritan standards of being placed in a particular trade of choice without given a choice of choosing what you could and could not do. As he got older, Franklin began working for his older brother who owned a printing business. Being forced to work for his older brother, Franklin shares his thoughts on working with one of his family members. “Though a brother, he considered himself as my master…who from a brother expected more indulgence” (Franklin 6). Franklin, unlike many others who lived during his time, became fed up with the work he was given through his brothers business and decided to flee Boston to go to Philadelphia in search of new life and opportunity. Such actions by Franklin resemble the gradual changes that took place during the time of progression and change in New England, and the clash of traditional Puritan culture versus the growth of a new way of thinking. Franklin’s actions suggest the idea that those who lived in 18th century New England believed that they had the opportunity to rise up and become a leader in their community, even though they served as the base of the social structure in their colony. Such idealistic views caused competition and tension throughout families and societies. The desire and effort to rise in society and eventually rise in financial status ultimately caused a rebellion against conformity and traditional culture in New England society. Franklin’s success in Philadelphia, despite his lack of formal education and knowledge of commerce, validates the ideas of those who refuse to conform to the traditional values present in their everyday lives. The desire to become more economically successful in this rapidly changing time of New England can be seen through Ben Franklin’s essay, “The Way to Wealth”, located in his autobiography.
Franklin discusses that in order to achieve economic success, an individual must understand the true meaning of economic achievement, and the responsibilities it entails in order to achieve fortune and financial prestige. In order to make money, one must be able to save their earnings and make responsible choices with it as well. Franklin states that “Diligence is the Mother of Good-luck….and God gives all Things to Industry” (Franklin 336). If an individual cannot be conscientious of their financial decisions, they will fail in their economic endeavors. Hard work, responsibility, and discipline are few of the many characteristics one must possess. Such qualities become extremely important; especially to those who hope to become successful in New England. With a moneyed economy becoming more and more prevalent in every day life, the desire and competition to succeed grows between those of different socioeconomic statuses. How you lived ultimately determined how much money you made. With the newfound idea of individual growth and prosperity, the desire to make money became more and more anticipated. Not only did Franklin believe that diligence was a key to financial success, but understanding the idea of frugality and thriftiness was just as important. In his essay, he states “You may think …show more content…
perhaps, that a little tea, or a little punch now and then, diet a little more costly…can be no great matter…many a little makes a mickle” (Franklin 336). Economic success is not measured by the type of clothes that you wear or the type of food that you eat, but rather by the ability to manage one’s money in a way that is not measured by extravagance and indulgence. Franklin discusses that his money does not buy him a large house or luxurious objects, but rather enables him to have more time to do what he truly enjoys doing, including reading and writing. Franklin furthermore supports his argument by stating “Lying rides upon debt’s back” (Franklin 336). This suggests that Franklin understands that business is extremely competitive, and people will do whatever they can in order to succeed. Therefore, honesty is one of the qualities one must possess in order to be prosperous. Political change in 18th century quickly followed the desire to create a more monetary based economy. A pluralistic type of governing body became the new way to elect and vote for individuals to be placed in office. People advocated themselves to become leaders by giving people reasons to vote for them. Politics and representatives in government were no longer based on godly power and prestige, but rather who can provide the best fit for the needs of the ever-changing society of New England. Conflict between interest groups began to arise due to regulation of taxes, property, and trade. Franklin’s political views stems from his desire to create a government free from any rule under the crown. Franklin “projected and drew a plan for the union of all the colonies under one government, so far as might be necessary for defense, and other important general purposes” (Franklin 217). Through such government, Franklin demonstrated what we know as a democratic form of government. He hoped to unify all colonies in order to create a government run by the people, free of corruption and greed from England. Such government would allow the people of New England to have the opportunity to take a role in politics and bring about social, political, and economic change to the area they chose to govern. The most drastic change that occurred during 18th century New England was the rapid decline in religious fervor.
People began to move away from the idea of pre-destiny, while ultimately meant that at the moment of conception God would choose if you were going to heaven or hell. Those who fall into this category found it difficult to prove their assurance to God, because a crisis has not occurred in their lives. Despite their abilities to remain serious and moral, they find that there is no way to prove to people that they have been born again. People then began to adapt what is known as the Halfway Covenant, which stated that a child of a church member who is serious and pious can ultimately be a member of the church. Over time, many of the leaders in the Puritan church begin to move away from pre-destination and focus on piety and good will. Franklin, despite being raised in a Puritan home, detached himself from Puritan beliefs at a young age. In his autobiography, he discusses his plan for “attaining moral perfection” (Franklin 146) in which he lists several steps that he must achieve in order to achieve such fulfillment. Unlike the Puritans, Franklin does not put influence on “God”, but rather focuses more on how he can control his life to be the best person he can possibly be. Franklin justifies his life decisions based on logic and reason, even for decisions that go against Puritan ideology. Franklin’s beliefs represent the changing religious ideas that one can achieve
morality without God. Throughout the 18th century, New England was the center of a rapidly changing political, economic, and social society. The increase in opportunity, population, and economic need harvested change that would forever impact the lives of those living in present day America. Benjamin Franklin serves as a symbol of such changes throughout the course of his life, through his writings in his autobiography. Such changes paved the way for freedom, hope, and ultimately a more successful and prosperous way of life.
Gordon S. Wood delves into Benjamin Franklin’s philosophical, political, and personal legacies in the biography, The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin. The book travels through Franklin’s experiments, his travels in Europe, and his role in the American revolution. The book begins when Franklin retires from business and becomes a gentleman. It was when he became a gentleman, it allowed him to analyze the world around him. “Indeed, he could not drink a cup of tea without wondering why the tea leaves at the bottom gathered in way rather than another,” a quote from Edmund S. Morgan’s book, Benjamin Franklin. Franklin spent a great deal of time in Britain before returning to America. When he returned, he threw himself into the American revolution, which sent him to France. After he accomplished his duties in France, he returned back home to America where he ran for public office.
Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers to the United States, was not a patriot but a mere loyalist to England before the dissolution between England and the colonies occurred. Sheila L. Skemp's The Making of a Patriot explores how Benjamin Franklin tried to stay loyal to the crown while taking interest in the colonies perception and their own representation in Parliament. While Ms. Skemp alludes to Franklin's loyalty, her main illustration is how the attack by Alexander Wedderburn during the Privy Council led to Franklin's disillusionment with the British crown and the greater interest in making the Thirteen Colonies their own nation. Her analysis of Franklin's history in Parliament and what occurred on the night that the council convened proves the change behind Franklin's beliefs and what lead to his involvement in the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.
While both the people of the New England region and of the Chesapeake region descended from the same English origin, by 1700 both regions had traveled in two diverse directions. Since both of these groups were beset with issues that were unique to their regions and due to their exposure to different circumstances, each was forced to rethink and reconstruct their societies. As a result, the differences in the motivation, geography, and government in the New England and Chesapeake regions caused great divergence in the development of each.
During the 1600's, many people in the American colonies led very many different lives, some better than others. While life was hard for some groups, other colonists were healthy and happy. Two groups that display such a difference are the colonists of New England and Chesapeake Bay. New Englanders enjoyed a much higher standard of living. This high standard of New England's was due to many factors, including a healthier environment, better family situation, and a high rate of reproduction.
During the late 16th century and into the 17th century, European nations rapidly colonized the newly discovered Americas. England in particular sent out numerous groups to the eastern coast of North America to two regions. These two regions were known as the Chesapeake and the New England areas. Later, in the late 1700's, these two areas would bond to become one nation. Yet from the very beginnings, both had very separate and unique identities. These differences, though very numerous, spurred from one major factor: the very reason the settlers came to the New World. This affected the colonies in literally every way, including economically, socially, and politically.
The American colonies new England ,middle and southern colonies were very similar but different.The New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies grew differently over the period on 1619-1760. The three sets of colonies will prove that they were all different. There is hugely different between each other and style to lived. Such as, economics and agriculture.In this essay,
Catechism, also known as religious instruction, schooling or teaching coexists with historic and present educational systems. Generalizing on this dogma is the idea that historically, education had the jurisdiction to incorporate religious values into a curriculum. Secular education was not a question of right or wrong, but more of a when and how. Individuals like Benjamin Harris subconsciously disguised religious works in the form of education. The New England Primer of 1777 is his most relevant and popular creation. Based off the Puritan religion, The New England Primer of 1777 imbedded many unique religious and educational principles into early schooling. A book consisting
Colonial living in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the New World was both diverse and, in many cases, proved deadly through such avenues as disease, Native American attacks, a lack of proper medical treatment, and disastrous weather conditions. Even through all of these hardships, the first colonists persevered, doing their best to see the blessings in their lives and create a better life for their children through all of the uncertainties. Nothing, it seems, in the original colonies was set in stone except for the fact that they never knew what the next day would hold in store. Everything, even small mishaps, had dramatic impacts on the social, economic, and political aspects of their lives. These circumstances, however, were more strongly influenced by geography than class position, unlike what many were used to in England. How population, economics, disease, and climate played into the social conditions of early colonists is truly a story for the ages. Whether people were seeking land, religious freedom, or money and profits, everyone worked to a certain extent just to survive, let alone thrive, in the wilderness that was North America at that time.
In summary, I believe colonial society had changed greatly from Winthrop's days to Franklin's. This is beneficial because we see how society is able to stray from the path of religion and venture onto other ideas that would have otherwise been discouraged. Benjamin Franklin was able to detach himself from traditional religion to expand his ability to experiment with science where as John Winthrop remained narrow minded because of his dedication to his religious beliefs.
In the American tradition Franklin stands as a man who preached thrift, frugality, industry and enterprise as the "way to wealth." He grew to maturity in an American tradition that was older than he was, according to which such virtues as thrift and industry were not enough to bring a man success; he had also to practice charity and help his neighbor. Wealth was a token of esteem of the Divine Providence that governs men's affairs, and thus the accumulation of riches was not sought for its own sake alone. Furthermore, wealth and position, being marks of the divine favor, conferred an obligation; a successful man was a "steward," holding the world's goods in trust for the less fortunate. This "Protestant ethic" was a common denominator of Calvinistic Boston where Franklin spent his boyhood and of Quaker Philadelphia where he grew to young manhood.
In the 1600s, the New England colonies were quickly developing because of the Puritans. Many great ideas and ethics were brought to the New World from England in a short amount of time. There was always a sense of order in their society, which was spread throughout the colonies. The importance of unity, education, and money greatly shaped the systematic life of Puritans.
Franklin wrote “Poor Richard’s Almanack” as a service to the American people, hoping to educate them and entice their intellectual cravings. Since it was extremely common for the almanac to be the only publication a person ever purchased, Franklin felt indebted to write as much as he possibly could. This important publication opened the discussion of many important issues people did not previously think about in their daily exchange (Giblin 24). From guidance on friendship to a prediction on the season’s weather, “Poor Richard’s Almanack” was a must-have on every colonists list.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a representation of the new prospect of upward mobility in colonial America during the 18th century and the development of the Age of Reason, which assisted in the conception of the idea of the “American Dream”; a dream that includes fundamentally social ideals such as democracy, equality, and material prosperity. Furthermore, Franklin’s autobiography exemplifies a significant shift in focus from religion to enlightenment and reason. Additionally, there were forces specific to Benjamin Franklin's Philadelphia, that played an important role in his perspectives and the changes that occurred within colonial America during the 18th century.
One of his important virtues was humility. It was simply stated: “Imitate Jesus and Socrates.” From the beginning of Franklin’s life, when he went to grammar school he was always interested in learning. His father took him from grammar school and his next move was to be an apprentice to his brother as a printer. With undying love for knowledge he continued to learn how to read and write well. “From a child I was fond of reading, and all the little money that came into my hands was ever laid out in books” (Franklin 13). He continually got books from other print shops and stores to read on the side of working. One of the writings that touched him the most was the Socratic dialogue that he read in the back of a grammar book that he borrowed. He continued his research on Socrates, and therefore the Socratic method became a driving force in his beliefs. That is why he states that we should ‘Imitate Jesus and Socrates’. Their views must have some basis in common in order for him to look up to them that much.
Benjamin Franklin is one of the most influential and famous figures of all time. Ben Franklin if often referred to as the "self-made man," and his philosophies and principles in the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, edited by Louis P. Masur, has served as a self-help book for millions around the world. Franklin's Autobiography is a prime example of the American dream, a rag to riches story that has inspired many people to think of themselves and the community in a different light. Franklin's moral and social philosophies are packed deeply into his Autobiography. Franklin believed that improving ones self was the key to success. Self-improvement, self-education, and self-discipline are the main factors of a self-made man. Improving yourself will ultimately improve the society as a whole. Franklin speaks of principality and inclination. His idea was to produce the principle man with the awareness of man's natural inclination. Throughout the text Franklin provides examples from his own life that contradicts his moral and social philosophies. These contradictions are mostly caused by natural inclinations. Franklin uses these contradictions to educate people to be aware of their natural inclinations and to try and overcome them. Franklin's realizes that improving oneself is a road with many imperfections. Not even the "self-made man" was completely perfect.