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The influence of the biography of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin contributions to history
The influence of the biography of Benjamin Franklin
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The leading figure of early America, Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17th, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts. Ben was the tenth son of his father, who was married to Abiah Folger. Benjamin Franklin went to Boston Latin School but could not continue for financial reasons. At 10 years old, Ben Franklin had to work with his candle-making father, Josiah Franklin. After working for his father, Benjamin worked for his elder brother in a printing shop.
At age 15, Benjamin’s brother started The New England Courant, which was Boston’s first newspaper. Benjamin’s brother James would not accept any of Ben’s writings for his newspaper. Benjamin secretly found a way to get his work published. Benjamin’s writings were a hit. At age 17, Ben left to Philadelphia
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Benjamin Franklin contributed to the Pennsylvania Gazette, which became the most successful newspaper in the colonies. In 1732, Benjamin published Poor Richard’s Almanack, which gained him huge success. He arranged the United States’ first public library and fire department. Benjamin was elected for many honors such as Grand Master of the Pennsylvania Masons, postmaster of Philadelphia, and clerk of state assembly. In 1751, Franklin published some his theories on electricity. Franklin had an attraction to electricity and invented the Franklin Stove, and coordinated the kite-and-key experiment. Franklin’s most famous experiment was when he flew a kite in a thunderstorm to prove that lighting is an electrical power. Franklin continued to pursue his interests in invention by inventing the lighting rod, swim fins, bifocals, and musical instruments.
Despite his love for electricity, at 42 years old, Ben had become a solider in the Pennsylvania militia. Franklin supported the Stamp Act in 1766 and represented the Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Georgia, and New Jersey Assembly. Nine years later, Franklin was elected as postmaster general for the colonies and was elected to the Second Continental Congress. He took part in the American negotiating team along with John Adams and John
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. Benjamin Franklin was the colonial agent representing Massachusetts in Parliament in Britain.
African or black history was not a study that was done by many until the last century. Studying African Americans accurately as part of American History was an even newer field of history. John Hope Franklin’s obituary calls him, “the scholar who helped create the field of African-American history and dominated it for nearly six decades.” He would call himself an historian of the American South.
Franklin Pierce was born on November 23, 1804, in a log cabin in Hillsboro, New Hampshire to Benjamin Pierce and Anna Kendrick. Pierce was the fifth of eight children born to Benjamin and Anna. His siblings, in order, were Benjamin,
became a revolutionist at the age of seventy. But more than just his political views helped the formation of the United States government and independance. His common sense, knowledge, and ability to negotiate all played a major part in the forming of a new country. Benjamin Franklin's ability to compromise often helped prevent large disputes which could have stalled the new government from forming.
Franklin moved from Boston to Philadelphia in search of a better place to stay and for his exploration. He is known for going “from rags to riches” from achieving many jobs and contributing to the colonies as a way to give back to the community. He became the first person to open a public library in Philadelphia in hopes of helping more people to educate themselves. Later, he established a fire company, developed a hospital and many useful things that are still with us today. Also, established the University of Pennsylvania and reformed the police department by taxing the community and having steady law enforcement.
Benjamin Franklin is one of the most profound individuals in American history. He is a Diplomat, Writer, Inventor, a founding father, and holds the title as the “First American.” In 1706 Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He is the fifteenth of seventeen children that his father, Josiah Franklin, had. At the age of 8 years old Franklin attended school, here he learned literacy. In spite of his successes in school, he had to drop out at the young age of 10 to assist his father with his business. Franklin did not enjoy working for his father’s business, however he had to work at his father’s shop for about 2 years. Josiah then had Benjamin apprenticed to his little brother, James, who was a printer. James is the founder
Benjamin Franklin is considered one of the greatest thinkers, inventors and leaders throughout American history. This Founding Father of the United States was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 17, 1706 and spent his childhood there until finally moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a teenager. Franklin was a leader in politics and science. Franklin lived for 84 years and passed away in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1790. Although conspiracy theorists may disagree, Franklin was not clearly for or against organized religion during his lifetime. We see this in his autobiography that he wrote at the age of 79.
Benjamin Franklin was a very significant figure during the American Revolution. His success as an inventor, scientist, printer, and politician made him a very famous and successful man during these times. His involvement in the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States always is an important part in US history. Simply put, we could not be here if Benjamin Franklin didn’t exist.
Though best remembered for his services as a diplomat and statesman during the American Revolution, this “wisest American” was also a philosopher, publisher, and scientist. His collection of common-sense sayings in Poor Richard's Almanack won immediate and lasting success. His other contributions came as the colonies' first postmaster general, and as founder of the American Philosophical Society, which later became the University of Pennsylvania.Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 [O.S. January 6, 1705] – April 17, 1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A renowned polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat.
Benjamin Franklin was the youngest of ten sons of a Boston soap and candle maker, had little formal schooling, and was trained in adolescence as a printer's apprentice. Ben's father, "intending to devote Ben as the tenth of his sons to the service of the church" put Ben into grammar school at the age of eight (Franklin (book) -335). With his parents intending for him to have a career in the church it was a sure shock that Franklin became a Deist, a religion based on reason and logic, rather than revelation or tradition. As a teenager, Franklin was given some books against Deism, and it just so happened that they wrought an effect on him that was quite contrary to what was intended by them. He realized that the arguments of the Deists appeared to be much stronger than the refutations, and soon after became a thorough Deist. He attacked Christian principles of free will and morality in a 1725 pamphlet, A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain.
Benjamin Franklin is considered to be one of the most well-known Founding Fathers, 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? Franklin 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. He was also a major figure in the American Enlightenment, which restored art, science and music, spreading moral philosophy all across the colonies. Although he was never elected to the role of President of the United States, Franklin served in several other parts, such as the first postmaster general for the colonies in
He accomplished many things, but he started at the bottom of the career chain. Benjamin had many different jobs before he settled. His first job was helping his father make candles. But at age twelve he became restless and ran away to Philadelphia to work. At first, he worked for his brother-in-law as a printer's apprentice, but family problems caused him to find work elsewhere. Because of the training he received, he started to work for the Pennsylvania Gazette and purchased the company in 1729. In 1748, he sold the paper and went to work for the government. During his life he was a printer, author, inventor, and diplomat.
Ben Franklin was born in Boston on a Sunday in January of 1706. His father was a candle maker and had many sons. Ben from a young age was a very adventurous boy, he was often getting in trouble. As a teen Ben Franklin went to work with his brother as a newspaper printer. Ben was in love with books and wanted to write a column in his brothers paper. He and his brother argued several times and Ben ran away to New York but soon ended up in Philadelphia running his own newspaper company. Ben Franklin was a scientist and inventor, we’ve all heard about Ben with electricity. Ben Franklin was also a major founding father of the constitution and was viewed as a very patriotic person.
The Electric Franklin. "Benjamin Franklin's Inventions." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, 4 July 1995. Web. 23 May 2014.