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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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and London, to learn more about printing so that he can pursue a printing career. Benjamin started off as an apprentice printer but was offered his own business by the governor of Pennsylvania. Franklin published his first pamphlet in London, called “A Dissertation upon Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain.” Upon his return to Philadelphia, Franklin published another pamphlet and was chosen as the official printer of Pennsylvania.
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
Jay. In 1776, Benjamin Franklin had the honor of being one of five men to draft the Declaration of Independence, as well as being able to draft the Articles of Confederation. Benjamin Franklin is one of the Founding Fathers. Benjamin also consulted the Treaty of Paris, which led to the end of the Revolutionary War. Benjamin spent a decade in France, but in 1785, returned to America where he was elected to represent Pennsylvania. This election took place at the Constitutional Convention, which brought the new U.S. Constitution. Franklin participated in the election of George Washington. Benjamin Franklin was president of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania. Ben also petitioned the U.S. Congress for the abolition of slavery in 1790. Franklin had signed the Constitution and fulfilled as a representative of the Constitutional Convention. Since Franklin was unable to stay in school when he was young, he later went to school and received degrees from Yale, University of St. Andrews, Harvard, and Oxford University. Franklin brought an idea about bringing together the colonies under a national congress. His plan was called the Albany Plan and it was rejected. Despite the plan being rejected, it assisted in the preliminary of the Articles of Confederation. Benjamin Franklin was a diplomat, scientist, writer, inventor, publisher, author, and statesman. Benjamin Franklin died at 84 years old on April 17, 1790. Franklin was buried in Philadelphia’s Christ Church cemetery. 200 years later, Benjamin Franklin’s face remains on the $100 bill. Franklin is remembered as a successful man who had victorious experiments. Ben contributed much to the public, grew a prosperous printing business, and dedicated much of his time to America.
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.
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,
Benjamin Franklin was a remarkably talented man. He started his life as a printers apprentice, but went much farther then there. He developed things that were far more advanced than the time. Benjamin Franklin's stove for example, for cold winter nights, and bifocal lenses for reading. Franklin tracked storms to help understand the horrible weather endured by the colonies. But gis study of electricity made him mist famous and he was known world wide as the founder of the lightning rod. Not only was Benjamin Franklin helpful in developing ideas for better living, he was also a strong force in developing the new nation of America. Benjamin Franklins political views showed him to be a man who loved freedom and independence. His views towards England gradually changed from like to dislike until he finally
Franklin also assisted in the development of streetlights. Before, streetlights were not as useful due to its flawed structure. Franklin changed the sculpture of the streetlights from a rounded glass to a square-like glass, which made the lights durable and eventually assisted in efficient lighting system for the city. This became vital part in lowering the crime rate and improving the lives of many people. In addition, Benjamin Franklin was a great writer and excellent thinker who improved the printing press. (Quote)
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 born on January 17, 1706 in Boston to father, Josiah Franklin and mother Abiah Folger. Josiah had seven children with his first wife, Anne child, and ten with his second wife, Abiah Folger. Benjamin was his 15th child and youngest son. Ben formally went to school at Boston Latin School and
Franklin was then apprenticed to his half brother James, a printer and publisher of the New England Courant. Unbeknownst to his brother young Ben was secretly contributing letters to the publication under the name of "Silence Dogood." In total, he published thirteen essays under that pseudonym which were widely read and praised for their satire. In 1723, after much disagreement with his brother he left and went to work in Philadelphia as a printer. After a sojourn in London from 1724-1726, he returned and in 1729 acquired an interest in the Pennsylvania Gazette. Soon after in the year 1730, Franklin became the owner and editor of the Pennsylvania Gazette and made the periodical popular. His common sense philosophy and his neatly worded phrases won public attention in things such as: the Gazette, later in the General Magazine, and especially in his Poor Richard's Almanack, which he published from 1732 to 1757 under the pen name Richard Saunders.
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 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
Franklin also played the harp, violin, and guitar which expresses his great love for music and his love for learning. Benjamin cared that young people got a good education; he thought that "education today is leadership and success of tomorrow." He thought that it was important to have a love of reading and founded the first public library in America in 1731: the Philadelphia Library. In 1732, Franklin published Poor Richard's Almanac with the pen name 'Richard Saunders.' In 1749, he wrote Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania. In 1751, he established Philadelphia Academy, later known as Univer...
The Electric Franklin. "Benjamin Franklin's Inventions." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, 4 July 1995. Web. 23 May 2014.