Why did Benjamin Franklin buy the Pennsylvania Gazette?
Looking to expand his business, on October 2, 1729, Franklin jumped at the opportunity to purchase The Pennsylvania Gazette from his debt-ridden former boss, Samuel Keimer. Under Franklin’s control, The Gazette grew to become the most successful newspaper in all of the colonies.
How much money did Benjamin Franklin print in 1764?
Obverse and reverse of a three pence note of paper currency issued by the Province of Pennsylvania and printed by Benjamin Franklin and David Hall in 1764. Between 1731 and 1764 Franklin printed more than 770,000 pounds of Pennsylvania paper money—the equivalent of just over 2 million dollars.
How did Benjamin Franklin feel about paper money in Pennsylvania?
They urged the legislature to return to gold and silver coins as the official currency of the Pennsylvania colony. Taking note of the political discussions, Franklin took the subject to the Junto for debate and discussion. Franklin argued in favor of continuing the issuance of paper money.
What was the first paper issued by Franklin and Meredith?
This essay was dated April 3, 1729, and was one of the first of the publications issued by the new firm of Franklin and Meredith “at the New Printing-Office near the Market.” The first part of this paper is a discussion of the importance of an adequate supply of money for the successful conduct of a community’s business.
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What did Benjamin Franklin produce in 1729?
In 1729, Benjamin Franklin bought a newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette. Franklin not only printed the paper, but often contributed pieces to the paper under aliases. His newspaper soon became the most successful in the colonies.
What paper did Benjamin Franklin publish?
the Pennsylvania GazetteAt the age of 23, Franklin became a newspaper editor and printer, publishing the Pennsylvania Gazette and later creating and publishing Poor Richard's Almanack under the pseudonym “Richard Saunders.” He was part of the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence and was a delegate at the U.S. Constitution.
Who purchased the Pennsylvania Gazette?
The Pennsylvania Gazette, published from 1728-1800, was one of the most prominent and successful newspapers in the American colonies and Early Republic. Published in Philadelphia, the newspaper was purchased by BenjaminFranklin and Hugh Meredith in 1729.
When Ben Franklin bought the Pennsylvania Gazette?
October 2, 1729On October 2, 1729, Benjamin Franklin and Hugh Meredith bought the paper and shortened its name, as well as dropping Keimer's grandiose plan to print out the Cyclopaedia. Franklin not only printed the paper but also often contributed pieces under aliases. His newspaper soon became the most successful in the colonies.
Why is Ben Franklin on the 100 dollar bill?
Franklin played a key role in building the nation. He was the most important founding father, he was the oldest and the one who had contributed the most to the cause of independence.
What are 4 things Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
Benjamin Franklin is the only Founding Father to have signed all four of the key documents establishing the U.S.: the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Treaty of Alliance with France (1778), the Treaty of Paris establishing peace with Great Britain (1783) and the U.S. Constitution (1787).
Did Ben Franklin own a newspaper?
Biographers and historians agree that Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) was the best journalist in colonial America and his Pennsylvania Gazette the best newspaper. Founded in 1728, the Gazette was the second newspaper to be produced in Philadelphia.
What did Benjamin Franklin invent?
Lightning rodBifocalsGlass harmonicaHand paddleFranklin stoveFranklin's electrostatic machineBenjamin Franklin/Inventions
What was the Pennsylvania Gazette known for?
The Pennsylvania Gazette was one of the United States' most prominent newspapers from 1728 until 1800. In the several years leading up to the American Revolution the paper served as a voice for colonial opposition to British colonial rule, especially as it related to the Stamp Act, and the Townshend Acts.
Which paper is regarded as the first newspaper in the North American colonies?
The first successful newspaper in America, the Boston News-Letter, appeared in 1704, and until 1719 it was the only newspaper in the colonies. In 1719 a local competitor emerged in Boston, the Boston Gazette, and the first newspaper in Philadelphia, the American Weekly Mercury, was launched that year as well.
Does the Pennsylvania Gazette still exist?
The Pennsylvania Gazette was founded in 1728 and ceased publication in 1800.
What name did Benjamin Franklin wrote under?
Silence DogoodSilence Dogood was the name Franklin used to write the letters. In the 18th century many people wrote using pseudonyms (fake names used in writing). Franklin made up a whole character who went by the name Silence Dogood and wrote the letters as though he were she.
What did Benjamin Franklin print?
Benjamin's shop printed all kinds of things including Pennsylvania's currency (money), his own newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, and his Poor Richard's Almanac. For the rest of his life, regardless of his other accomplishments, Benjamin always considered himself a printer.
What did Ben Franklin write?
In his lifetime, Benjamin Franklin authored several works. Among the best known is Poor Richard's Almanack, a yearly publication (from 1732 to 1758) written under the pseudonym of Richard Saunders. His posthumously published autobiography, the first of its kind to achieve popularity, was written from 1771 to 1790.
When was Benjamin Franklin's autobiography published?
1791The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin / Originally published
Which paper is regarded as the first of the penny papers?
The first penny paper, the Sun, was founded in New York in September 1833. After that time, newspapers became nonpartisan since they were not supported by political parties.
When did Benjamin Franklin become the official printer of Pennsylvania?
In 1730, when Franklin was 24 years old, he became the official printer of Pennsylvania and in 1736 he was chosen as the official printer of New Jersey.
Who took care of Franklin's printing business?
Retirement from printing. In 1748 Franklin took a partner, David Hall, who took care of the daily printing business leaving him more time for public projects. With the fortune he had built he was able to live comfortably and engage himself in public projects and electrical experiments.
Why was Benjamin Franklin appointed Postmaster of Philadelphia?
The following year Franklin was appointed Postmaster of Philadelphia which allowed him to increase his newspaper’s circulation allowing riders (mailmen) to deliver the Pennsylvania Gazette to more customers. Read more about The Pennsylvania Gazette.
How long did Benjamin Franklin spend in England?
Franklin spent 18 months in England during a failed attempt to purchase printing equipment to start his own business. William Keith, the colonial governor of Pennsylvania had promised Franklin letters of credit to purchase equipment but those letters never materialized.
What was Benjamin Franklin's advantage?
In 1736 Benjamin Franklin was elected clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly which was an advantage to his business as he was able to secure profitable printing jobs such as votes, laws and paper money, as well as more advertisers for his newspaper.
How did Benjamin Franklin help the legislature?
The essay was very popular and helped persuade the legislature to increase circulation of paper money. His friends at the legislature considered that he had been of some service and rewarded him with a contract to print paper currency, a very profitable job. In 1730, when Franklin was 24 years old, he became the official printer of Pennsylvania and in 1736 he was chosen as the official printer of New Jersey.
How many copies of The Almanack were printed in a year?
The almanack was a best seller in the American colonies printing up to 10,000 copies a year. Its success brought wealth to Benjamin Franklin, the printer.
How much money did Benjamin Franklin print?
Between 1731 and 1764 Franklin printed more than 770,000 pounds of Pennsylvania paper money—the equivalent of just over 2 million dollars. In addition, Franklin also printed Delaware paper money between 1734 and 1760 (86,000 pounds) and one issue of New Jersey paper money in 1737, in the form of 50,000 pounds.
How old was Benjamin Franklin when he started printing money?
He was 25. In his first year of production, Pennsylvania issues 40,000 pounds of paper money. Franklin continues to print Pennsylvania’s paper money from 1731 through 1746. The business of printing money quickly became Franklin’s most profitable venture. To scale more quickly, Franklin introduced America’s first commercial franchise system.
What did Governor Keith offer Franklin?
Learning of his failure to raise money, Governor Keith offered to fund Franklin’s business and directed him to go to London to purchase printing equipment for the new venture. He ensured Franklin that the necessary documentation and letter of credit needed to make the purchase would be sent along with him on the boat.
What is the Franklin Press?
The Franklin Printing Press, an English common press, from the Historic Relics Collection. In 1768, Benjamin Franklin visited the printing company in London where he had apprenticed in the 1720s. Franklin purportedly took a turn at this press, although he had not operated a press when he worked there. The press was then deemed so historically valuable that it was purchased and transported to the United States, where it went on display in the Patent Office Building and later went to the Smithsonian as the “Franklin Press.” Source: Smithsonian Institution Archives.
How old was Ben Franklin when he left Boston?
After leaving Boston, Ben Franklin entered the city on this street on a Sunday morning. He was 17, tired and hungry and had one dollar in his pocket. After Pennsylvania’s paper money began to flow, Franklin observed an uptick in local trade, employment, construction, and an influx in new, permanent residents.
What did Benjamin Franklin do when he arrived in Philadelphia?
Upon arrival, Franklin bore witness to a city in distress – an obvious lack of permanent residents, vacant houses, and anemic economic activity. He attributed these issues to the lack of gold ...
Why did Franklin go to Boston?
Following the Governor’s suggestion, Franklin went to Boston to raise the necessary capital needed to start his business. Franklin returned to Philadelphia emptyhanded, having failed to secure the funding.
What did Benjamin Franklin do in 1764?
He employed the medium again in 1764 on the heels of the Conestoga massacres. His emotions and political leanings on full display as he attempted to win over his Christian audience, Franklin opened Narrative by naming the dead, underscoring their English names: “Peggy was Shehaes’s Daughter. . . .
When was Benjamin Franklin's pamphlet wars published?
The text of this article is available for unedited republication, free of charge, using the following credit: “Originally published as “Benjamin Franklin and the Pamphlet Wars” on March 17, 2020, in Humanities magazine, a publication of the National Endowment for the Humanities.”.
What was the Pamphlet War?
The Pamphlet War of 1764, as the exchange became known , began as an unintended consequence of the French and Indian War, which ended with France ceding its North American strongholds to Great Britain and Spain. Tribes that had sided with the French, such as the Huron, Seneca, and Miami, were forced out of their ancestral homes, ...
How many pamphlets are there in Digital Paxton?
Currently, Digital Paxton comprises 69 pamphlets, three books, nine political cartoons, sixteen art works, sixteen broadsides, 26 newspaper and periodical issues, 128 manuscript records, and 3,000 print-quality images, all free to examine on the spot or to download.
How many of the massacres did Benjamin Franklin recount?
Franklin recounted the second round of massacres in Narrative with equal horror: Fifty of them, armed as before, dismounting, went directly to the Work-house, and by Violence broke open the Door, and entered with the utmost Fury in their Countenances.
What did the Philadelphia cartoons depict?
Political cartoons depicted Quakers and Indians riding colonists like horses, suggesting Philadelphia’s elites, including Benjamin Franklin, cared little for their frontier brethren. Pro-Paxtons, meanwhile, were caricatured as country bumpkins and said to be no better than those they had butchered. In short, each side painted ...
Where did the pamphlet war originate?
One example originated in Boston and swept through Great Britain in 1764, just as Parliament was meeting to discuss the Stamp Act, launching a pamphlet war in the United Kingdom over the fate of the colonies, political and economic reform, and more. Another all-consuming pamphlet war would take hold on American soil, this one ignited by the massacre of twenty Conestoga Indians by Pennsylvania frontiersmen. Despite its considerable paper trail, it has largely remained on the margins of American history.
When was paper money invented in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania’s first experience with paper currency came in 1723 with the passage of two acts which provided for issues of bills of credit totaling £45,000. Except for £7,500 allocated to governmental agencies for public expenditure, the new currency was to be loaned to private individuals at 5 per cent interest for specified terms of years on the security of real-estate mortgages. The borrowers were to repay the principal in equal annual installments and the bills of credit received in payment were to be canceled and destroyed. The last of the loans would be repaid and the last bills of credit “sunk” in 1736. 7 But in 1726, when almost £5,000 of the paper money had been retired, complaint about the shrinking currency induced the Assembly to halt the further destruction of the bills and to authorize instead their reissue on new mortgage loans. 8
When did the last bills of credit sink?
The last of the loans would be repaid and the last bills of credit “sunk” in 1736. 7 But in 1726, when almost £5,000 of the paper money had been retired, complaint about the shrinking currency induced ...
What would happen if bills were taken out of a bank in Europe?
But if Bills could be taken out of a Bank in Europe on a Land Security, it is probable the Value of such Bills would be more certain and steady, because the Number of Inhabitants continue to be near the same in those Countries from Age to Age.
What were the effects of the 1723 and 1726 Acts of 1723?
Many believed the acts of 1723 and 1726 had greatly promoted the prosperity of Pennsylvania; others, including the more conservative inhabitants, the proprietors in England, and officials of the British government, feared inflation and serious depreciation of the paper money such as had already taken place in New England and South Carolina.
When did Gordon sign the bill of credit?
The negotiations were successful and on May 10 Governor Gordon signed a bill providing for the emission of £30,000 in bills of credit on conditions very much like those of the two acts of 1723.
Is there a proportionate quantity of money requisite to carry on the trade of a country freely and currently?
There is a certain proportionate Quantity of Money requisite to carry on the Trade of a Country freely and currently; More than which would be of no Advantage in Trade, and Less, if much less, exceedingly detrimental to it.
Early history
Background
- Young Benjamin was in charge of setting the letters for the printer and sell newspapers door to door but what he really wanted to do was to write and knew his brother would object. One day it occurred to him to write an anonymous article under the pseudonym of Silence Dogood. James was impressed and published the letters. From April to October 1722 he submitted 14 Dogood l…
Summary
- The New England Courant was a liberal newspaper publishing humorous articles and cartoons against the colonial government. One of the pieces published in June 1722 offended the Assembly and James was jailed for two weeks for contempt as he did not disclose the author. While James was in jail Benjamin ran the business and the newspaper was published...
Facts
- Benjamin decided to ran away from his brother and taking advantage of a clause in his indenture he was able to free himself from the contract that tied him to James.
Business
- Franklin spent 18 months in England during a failed attempt to purchase printing equipment to start his own business. William Keith, the colonial governor of Pennsylvania had promised Franklin letters of credit to purchase equipment but those letters never materialized. In 1728, when Franklin was 22 years old, he entered a partnership with Hugh Meredith, a co-worker at Kei…
Later years
- Franklin briefly returned to work for Samuel Keimer who was in a great deal of debt. Keimer was given a project that involved printing money in New Jersey. It involved skills in cutting and types that only Franklin could supply as no one had the skills. The copper press plate was the first one ever used in the country. For three months while at this job Franklin met friends in positions of p…
Publication
- The Pennsylvania Gazette was published twice a week and contained news and reports on public events. What made this paper different from others was the publication of essays and letters from readers, much of which was written by Franklin himself under pseudonyms. He resisted making the Gazette partisan.
Significance
- The essay was very popular and helped persuade the legislature to increase circulation of paper money. His friends at the legislature considered that he had been of some service and rewarded him with a contract to print paper currency, a very profitable job. In 1730, when Franklin was 24 years old, he became the official printer of Pennsylvania and in 1736 he was chosen as the offici…
Sales
- The almanack was a best seller in the American colonies printing up to 10,000 copies a year. Its success brought wealth to Benjamin Franklin, the printer.
Bills of Credit
Franklin Goes to England
The Beginning of A Publishing Empire
Making The Case For Paper Money
Benjamin’s Bills
- Ever the advantageous entrepreneur, and a sudden authority on paper money, Franklin secures the contract to print Pennsylvania’s paper money in 1731. He was 25. In his first year of production, Pennsylvania issues 40,000 pounds of paper money. Franklin continues to print Pennsylvania’s paper money from 1731 through 1746. The business of printing mo...