How did Benjamin Franklin inspire other people?
Franklin inspired Simón Bolvar and José de San Martn, who helped people in South America achieve independence. Franklin’s Autobiographywas a hit in Japan, where Fukuzawa Yukichi and other thinkers promoted his principles, which inspired entrepreneurs.
Who is Ben Franklin and what did he do?
Benjamin Franklin. Written By: Benjamin Franklin, also called Ben Franklin, pseudonym Richard Saunders, (born January 17 [January 6, Old Style], 1706, Boston, Massachusetts [U.S.]—died April 17, 1790, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.), American printer and publisher, author, inventor and scientist, and diplomat.
What inventions did Benjamin Franklin invent?
Benjamin Franklin’s Inventions. Benjamin Franklin was many things in his lifetime: a printer, a postmaster, an ambassador, an author, a scientist, a Founding Father. Above all, he was an inventor, creating solutions to common problems, innovating new technology, and even making life a little more musical.
How did Benjamin Franklin get started in writing?
Franklin gained experience writing when his brother began publishing a newspaper, the New-England Courant. At 16, he anonymously wrote 14 articles known as the Dogood Papers, satirizing religious dogmas and government officials, and his brother published them apparently without ever knowing the identity of the author.
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Who was Benjamin Franklin influenced by?
VoltaireCotton MatherConfuciusDavid HumeFrançois QuesnayEmer de VattelBenjamin Franklin/Influenced by
What motivates Benjamin Franklin?
Motivated to Improve With only two years of formal schooling, Franklin valued self-improvement and was determined to find ways that he could better himself.
How did Benjamin Franklin influence the world?
Franklin helped to draft the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, and he negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War. His scientific pursuits included investigations into electricity, mathematics and mapmaking.
What invented Benjamin Franklin?
Lightning rodGlass harmonicaBifocalsHand paddleFranklin stoveFranklin's electrostatic machineBenjamin Franklin/InventionsAs an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove, among others. He founded many civic organizations, including the Library Company, Philadelphia's first fire department, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Why was Benjamin Franklin put on the $100 bill?
A Founding Father Franklin was one of the – if not the – most important founding father in our nation. His work in forging the Declaration of Independence is considered pivotal in the forming of the nation, so it is well-fitting that his likeness be on this important bill.
How old was Ben Franklin when died?
84 years (1706–1790)Benjamin Franklin / Age at deathBenjamin Franklin's funeral was the largest Philadelphia had ever seen. Benjamin Franklin, a statesman and scientist, died on this day in 1790 in Philadelphia. He was 84 years old, having lived well beyond the average life expectancy for Americans at the time.
How many slaves did Ben Franklin have?
Franklin owned at leas two slaves during his life, both of whom worked as household servants, but in his old age he came to view slavery as a vile institution that ran counter to the principles of the American Revolution.
Who founded the United States?
Fact #1: These seven men are the principle Founding Fathers: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison. While there were many others who contributed to the founding of the United States, these seven are considered by most as the Founding Fathers.
What are 3 things Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
Ben Franklin's best inventions and innovationsInvention: The Franklin stove (1742). ... Invention: The lightning rod (circa 1753). ... Invention or innovation: Bifocals (date unconfirmed). ... Invention or innovation: The flexible catheter (1752). ... Invention: Key words to describe electricity.More items...•
Who invented swimming flippers?
Swim fins by Frenchman Louis de Corlieu, in 1933, similar in concept to Franklin's invention. Benjamin Franklin was an avid swimmer from a very young age. Throughout his life he consistently promoted its healthful benefits. At the ripe old age of 11 he invented a pair of swim fins.
Did Ben Franklin actually invent anything?
He invented: Lightning rod (1750) Flexible catheter (1752) 24-hour, three-wheel clock that was much simpler than other designs of the day (1757) Glass armonica, a simple musical instrument made of spinning glass (1762)
Who invented the lightning rod?
Benjamin FranklinProkop DivišLightning rod/InventorsBy 1750, in addition to wanting to prove that lightning was electricity, Franklin began to think about protecting people, buildings, and other structures from lightning. This grew into his idea for the lightning rod. Franklin described an iron rod about 8 or 10 feet long that was sharpened to a point at the end.
What are 3 things Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
Ben Franklin's best inventions and innovationsInvention: The Franklin stove (1742). ... Invention: The lightning rod (circa 1753). ... Invention or innovation: Bifocals (date unconfirmed). ... Invention or innovation: The flexible catheter (1752). ... Invention: Key words to describe electricity.More items...•
What was Benjamin Franklin's theory?
The Ben Franklin effect is a proposed psychological phenomenon: a person who has already performed a favor for another person is more likely to do another favor for the other than if they had received a favor from that person.
What was Benjamin Franklin's American Dream?
Franklin's classification of the American dream implied an ideal that everyone had the chance to achieve the Jeffersonian ideal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For Franklin, the American dream was possible for anyone who had the willingness to work hard and honestly.
What was Benjamin Franklin best known for?
One of the foremost of the Founding Fathers, he helped draft the Declaration of Independence and was one of its signers, he represented the United States in France during the American Revolution, and he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention.
What did Benjamin Franklin do after Denham died?
Upon Denham's death, Franklin returned to his former trade. In 1728, Franklin had set up a printing house in partnership with Hugh Meredith; the following year he became the publisher of a newspaper called The Pennsylvania Gazette. The Gazette gave Franklin a forum for agitation about a variety of local reforms and initiatives through printed essays and observations. Over time, his commentary, and his adroit cultivation of a positive image as an industrious and intellectual young man, earned him a great deal of social respect. But even after Franklin had achieved fame as a scientist and statesman, he habitually signed his letters with the unpretentious 'B. Franklin, Printer.'
How did Benjamin Franklin prove lightning is electricity?
Franklin published a proposal for an experiment to prove that lightning is electricity by flying a kite in a storm that appeared capable of becoming a lightning storm. On May 10, 1752, Thomas-François Dalibard of France conducted Franklin's experiment using a 40-foot-tall (12 m) iron rod instead of a kite, and he extracted electrical sparks from a cloud. On June 15, 1752, Franklin may possibly have conducted his well-known kite experiment in Philadelphia, successfully extracting sparks from a cloud. Franklin described the experiment in the Pennsylvania Gazette on October 19, 1752, without mentioning that he himself had performed it. This account was read to the Royal Society on December 21 and printed as such in the Philosophical Transactions. Joseph Priestley published an account with additional details in his 1767 History and Present Status of Electricity. Franklin was careful to stand on an insulator, keeping dry under a roof to avoid the danger of electric shock. Others, such as Prof. Georg Wilhelm Richmann in Russia, were indeed electrocuted in performing lightning experiments during the months immediately following Franklin's experiment.
How old was William Franklin when he was born?
See also: William Franklin. William Franklin. In 1730, 24-year-old Franklin publicly acknowledged the existence of his son William, who was deemed "illegitimate," as he was born out of wedlock, and raised him in his household. William was born February 22, 1730, and his mother's identity is still unknown.
Why did Benjamin Franklin become vegetarian?
His reasons for vegetarianism were based on health, ethics, and economy:
What was the Junto's favorite pastime?
Reading was a great pastime of the Junto, but books were rare and expensive. The members created a library initially assembled from their own books after Franklin wrote:
How many children did Josiah Franklin have?
Following her death, Josiah was married to Abiah Folger on July 9, 1689, in the Old South Meeting House by Reverend Samuel Willard, and would eventually have ten children with her. Benjamin, their eighth child, was Josiah Franklin's fifteenth child overall, and his tenth and final son.
What was Franklin's ethos?
Franklin was foundational in defining the American ethos as a marriage of the practical values of thrift, hard work, education, community spirit, self-governing institutions, and opposition to authoritarianism both political and religious, with the scientific and tolerant values of the Enlightenment.
What did Benjamin Franklin do in Philadelphia?
Starting in the 1730s, he helped establish a number of community organizations in Philadelphia, including a lending library (it was founded in 1731, a time when books weren’t widely available in the colonies, and remained the largest U.S. public library until the 1850s), the city’s first fire company, a police patrol and the American Philosophical Society, a group devoted to the sciences and other scholarly pursuits. Franklin also organized the Pennsylvania militia, raised funds to build a city hospital and spearheaded a program to pave and light city streets. Additionally, Franklin was instrumental in the creation of the Academy of Philadelphia, a college which opened in 1751 and became known as the University of Pennsylvania in 1791.
How old was Benjamin Franklin when he was elected to the Constitutional Convention?
In 1787, he was a Pennsylvania delegate to the Constitutional Convention. (The 81-year-old Franklin was the convention’s oldest delegate.) At the end of the convention, in September 1787, he urged his fellow delegates to support the heavily debated new document.
What was Franklin's business?
The business became highly successful producing a range of materials, including government pamphlets, books and currency. In 1729, Franklin became the owner and publisher of a colonial newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, which proved popular–and to which he contributed much of the content, often using pseudonyms.
Why did Franklin send the French to France?
That same year, Congress sent Franklin to France to enlist that nation’s help with the Revolutionary War. In February 1778, the French signed a military alliance with America and went on to provide soldiers, supplies and money that proved critical to America’s victory in the war.
How old was Benjamin Franklin when he started his printing business?
Benjamin Franklin's Inventions. In 1748, Franklin, then 42 years old, had expanded his printing business throughout the colonies and become successful enough to stop working. Retirement allowed him to concentrate on public service and also pursue more fully his longtime interest in science.
Where was Benjamin Franklin born?
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in colonial Boston . His father, Josiah Franklin (1657-1745), a native of England, was a candle and soap maker who married twice and had 17 children. Franklin’s mother was Abiah Folger (1667-1752) of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Josiah’s second wife. Franklin was the eighth of Abiah and Josiah’s 10 offspring.
What was Benjamin Franklin's final act of public service?
He also negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War (1775-83). In 1787, in his final significant act of public service, he was a delegate to the convention that produced the U.S. Constitution. Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in colonial Boston.
What was the Franklin stove?
The Franklin stove, as it came to be called, was a metal-lined fireplace designed to stand a few inches away from the chimney.
What did Benjamin Franklin do to his eyesight?
Like most of us, Franklin found that his eyesight was getting worse as he got older, and he grew both near-sighted and far-sighted. Tired of switching between two pairs of eyeglasses, he invented “double spectacles,” or what we now call bifocals. He had the lenses from his two pairs of glasses - one for reading and one for distance - sliced in half horizontally and then remade into a single pair, with the lens for distance at the top and the one for reading at the bottom.
What was Benjamin Franklin's greatest achievement?
Benjamin Franklin was many things in his lifetime: a printer, a postmaster, an ambassador, an author, a scientist, a Founding Father. Above all, he was an inventor, creating solutions to common problems, innovating new technology, and even making life a little more musical. Despite creating some of the most successful and popular inventions ...
How old was Benjamin Franklin when he invented the fins?
Library of Congress. An avid swimmer, Franklin was just 11 years old when he invented swimming fins—two oval pieces of wood that, when grasped in the hands, provided extra thrust through the water. He also tried out fins for his feet, but they weren’t as effective.
What was Franklin's most famous experiment?
Lightning Rod. Franklin is known for his experiments with electricity - most notably the kite experiment - a fascination that began in earnest after he accidentally shocked himself in 1746. By 1749, he had turned his attention to the possibility of protecting buildings—and the people inside—from lightning strikes.
When was the Urinary Catheter invented?
Urinary Catheter. Library of Congress. Franklin was inspired to invent a better catheter in 1752 when he saw what his kidney (or bladder) stone-stricken brother had to go through. Catheters at the time were simply rigid metal tubes—none too pleasant.
Did Benjamin Franklin patent anything?
Despite creating some of the most successful and popular inventions of the modern world, Franklin never patented a single one , believing that they should be shared freely: "That as we enjoy great Advantages from the Inventions of others, we should be glad of an Opportunity to serve others by any Invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously."
What was Franklin's vision?
Franklin's vision always seemed to align with creating something for the betterment. Be it the better of oneself, the betterment of knowledge, or the betterment of a town, Franklin worked hard to innovate as much he could for the better. From being the stepping stone that created libraries, fire departments, paved roads, to being an inspiration for the people through his writing featured in his paper, other papers, and even the pieces in his autobiography, Franklin's mission was simple, to improve everything around for the better of society.
Why did Franklin make civic virtue his mission right at the beginning?
This showcases that Franklin made civic virtue his mission right at the beginning because he could see, as he travelled the streets of Philadelphia, it was necessary. Franklin as stated by Bill Smith "credited Cotton Mather's Essays to Do Good as an inspiration for the club...". (Smith 100) Thus, Franklin's mission was simple, ...
How did Benjamin Franklin keep up his education?
Education and writings seemed so prevalent to him even then that he kept up his education by studying books and information available well into the night. He was determined to write well, thus he focused on learning grammar and read the entire classic authors, in order to improve his own writings. His ambition showcases that even at a young Franklin was determined to better himself through self inflicted education.
Why did Benjamin Franklin focus on grammar?
He was determined to write well, thus he focused on learning grammar and read the entire classic authors, in order to improve his own writings. His ambition showcases that even at a young Franklin was determined to better himself through self inflicted education.
Why did Benjamin Franklin create the classics?
Franklin created an opportunity for many to indulge in the classics as he did as a child in order to educate himself properly. As stated by Smith "Franklin wrote a motto for the Library Company that found godly approval for public service: "To pour forth benefits for the common good is divine,"" (Smith 103). This depicts that Franklin wanted to put forth the good that he believed everyone deserved as a citizen, in this example, a right to a fruitful self-education. Franklin's desire for education of a society and his sentiment of each individual's responsibility of an education for himself was made possible by his own innovation. Franklin was pleased, but he certainly didn't stop there.
How did Benjamin Franklin create the idea of a library?
He then concocted the idea of opening a library for the public by asking the debate club to put together funds for the institution. In 1732 the Library Company of Philadelphia was created. Franklin created an opportunity for many to indulge in the classics as he did as a child in order to educate himself properly.
What was Benjamin Franklin's main goal?
He contributed to society through his vast inventions with little cost, and had no interest in patenting or claiming many of his own ideas. His main objective was to have the invention to better society rather than create for the praise. He aided through his focus on science, which lead to the creation of electricity. As stated by PBS,
Why did the Pennsylvania legislature send Franklin to London?
Since Franklin had been to England, was well known in Europe, and had proven himself as a negotiator, the Assembly sent him to London where, it was hoped, he could secure their interests against the Penns. After a fruitless discussion with Thomas Penn, William Penn’s son, it was clear that Franklin was in for a long stay. He learned the fine art of British-style lobbying. He brought to it his skill of writing letters and essays—he contributed 32 articles to the London Chronicle, 33 articles to the Public Advertiser, and additional articles in The Citizen and The Gentleman’s Magazine. He anonymously collaborated with fellow Pennsylvania agent Richard Jackson to produce An Historical Review of the Constitution and Government of Pennsylvania (1758), a polemic against the Penns; and The Interest of Great Britain Considered, With Regard to her Colonies, And the Acquisitions of Canada and Guadeloupe (1760), a pamphlet supporting the expansion of the British Empire. Franklin dined out six days a week, developing relationships with influential people. In April 1759, the Pennsylvania Assembly had passed a bill which aimed to raise P100,000 for defense against the French—by taxing all land. It specified that the long tax-exempt Penn properties would be taxed, at a rate no higher than any other property. The bill was upheld in London.
What happened to Benjamin Franklin's newspaper?
As a consequence, the Massachusetts Governor’s Council sentenced James Franklin to a month in jail, and it ordered him to stop publishing the New-England Courant. The paper continued to appear, however—under Benjamin Franklin’s name. But the brothers began squabbling, apparently over control.
What was Franklin known for?
Franklin was famous for his charm and tact, which enabled him to get the most out of people, but he had detractors. For instance, John Adams complained that I could never obtain the favour of his Company in a Morning before Breakfast which would have been the most convenient time to read over the Letters and papers. . . . Mr. Franklin kept a horn book always in his Pockett in which he minuted all his invitations to dinner, and Mr. [Arthur] Lee said it was the only thing in which he was punctual . . . and after that went sometimes to the Play, sometimes to the Philosophers but most commonly to visit those Ladies. . . . John Dickinson, head of Pennsylvania’s delegation to Congress, hated Franklin so much that he refused to install a lightning rod on his Philadelphia mansion—and it was struck by lightning.
How did Benjamin Franklin make an impression?
He described himself as very plainly dressed, wearing my thin, gray straight hair, that peeps out under my only coiffure, a fine fur cap, which comes down my forehead almost to my spectacles. Think how this must appear among the powdered heads of Paris! Pictures of Franklin seemed to appear everywhere. Fashionable artists like Jean Honoré Fragonard did paintings of Franklin. His portrait was reproduced as engravings and aquatints. His likeness was on medallions, wall plaques, rings, bracelets, snuffboxes, and hats. He wrote his daughter, Sally: These, with pictures, busts and prints (of which copies upon copies are spread everywhere), have made your father’s face as well known as that of the moon.
What did Benjamin Franklin learn?
He took the initiative of learning French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish. He taught himself how to play the guitar, violin, and harp. He made himself an influential author and editor.
What was Franklin's father's job?
His father Josiah Franklin was a candlemaker. At eight, he was sent to Boston’s Latin school with the idea of entering Harvard, which would prepare him for the ministry. But Harvard required unquestioning devotion, and Franklin exhibited some religious skepticism.
How many people paid tribute to Benjamin Franklin?
Some 20,000 people paid their respects, including officials, militia men, scientists, merchants, bankers, teachers, printers, apprentices, and others whose lives were touched by the extraordinary enterprising spirit of Benjamin Franklin.
How did Benjamin Franklin influence the world?
Benjamin Franklin Through his efforts to influence and inspire the world, Benjamin Franklin led America to reach new heights that would eventually make it the strongest nation known to man. As one of the most involved men in the United States during his time, he managed to transform America and change it into the country its citizens love today. There are many ways that Franklin provoked the lives of the American people during his life. Even after his death, the whole nation carried on its motivation that was sparked by Benjamin Franklin. Franklin’s life was greatly influenced by Renaissance idealism. He was very inspired by the world around him and decided to pursue many aspects of the world which he found interesting. Most would say he was…show more content…
What is Nikola Tesla's legacy?
A piece of evidence is when he finished the power generators for New York “Within a few years the numbers of generators at Niagara falls reached the planned ten, and power lines were electrifying New York.”This explains that he had a good legacy and good intentions for the world. His legacy also includes his research for making electrical current go in the air “But these discoveries in 1890, when he illuminated a vacuum tube wirelessly-having transmitted energy through the air.” That also explains how his legacy went on and finding new ways for electricity to travel. Nikola Tesla’s legacy also when on when he tried to create a death beam “Tesla stated that the death beam would make war impossible by offering every country an invisible Chinese wall.” That explains how Nikola Tesla’s legacy went on helping us all. That also explains how Nikola Tesla’s legacy, accomplishments, and courageous acts. In conclusion, Nikola Tesla was very influential in life.
What are the virtues of a perfectionist?
Virtues of a Perfectionist One of the most influential individuals in American history was Benjamin Franklin. Franklin a renowned author, printer, politician and U.S. Founding Father, made numerous contributions towards the development and writing of the Constitution of the United States as well as the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin strived to improve himself over the course of his life due to the fact, that “Franklin was a conscious and a conscientious perfectionist” (Arriving at Perfection) that desired to embark on the journey to moral perfection and self improvement through a variety of different avenues. Franklin believed that if he applied the guidance of the thirteen virtues he could achieve moral perfection and improve
Why did Benjamin Franklin make the lightning rod?
The lightning rod was intended by Benjamin Franklin to protect houses from very dangerous and destructive lightning strikes. The rod, at the top of the house, was connected to a wire that ran all the way to the ground. When lightning would strike, the electricity was harmlessly transferred into the ground. Though this invention may seem very simple, it was unheard of during the time that Benjamin Franklin introduced it. On the other hand, Franklin was thought to be way ahead of his time. He was considered one of the most influential characters in the progression of the United States of
What did Thomas Edison do for the world?
Thomas Edison was a creative inventor that pushed the science world forward 100 years by inventing the lightbulb, quadruplex transmitter, telegraph, helping with the making of the telephone and much more. Plus he had a major positive impact on his decade by serving in the civil war, saving lives and creating jobs. He also had a major impact on the world by allowing safe lasting light with the light bulb, easy communication with the telegraph, and electrical distribution. Next time you call a friend or turn on the lights, think of Thomas Edison, because without him, they wouldn’t
What was Thomas Jefferson's greatest achievement?
Arguably Thomas Jefferson’s biggest accomplishment comes from his incredibly strong and influential effort to further advance the personal rights of each and every citizen. Of Thomas Jefferson’s triumphs, his advancement of personal rights has had the greatest effect on modern day America. Without his enlightenment ideas and push for the Bill of Rights, the United States would not be the same amazing country that exists today. God bless
Why was Martin Luther King Jr. in jail?
One of the reasons Martin Luther King Jr. was such a great and influential revolutionary in the context of civil rights is because of his mastery of ethos, pathos, and logos. Even today when mentioning King’s name in a conversation commands respect which shows just how great of a character he was, which demonstrates ethos. King also had the ability to connect emotionally with people of all different races and could easily be seen as an embodiment of the civil rights movement. Last, but not least King demonstrated logos through his words, he was a very well educated man who articulated himself well and could appeal to logic with ease.
Where Did Benjamin Franklin Grow Up?
Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Mass., January 17, 1706, into a Puritan household. He had 16 siblings, but four of them died at birth. He was 15th overall in the birth order, and he was the youngest of five brothers. His mother, Abiah Folger, was his father's second wife. His father was a soap and candle maker who could only afford two years of formal schooling for young Ben.
What did Benjamin Franklin do?
Benjamin Franklin was one of those rare people who had a curious mind, many talents and the ambition to accomplish much during his life. As one of the founding fathers of the United States, he had the respect of the most powerful people in the country. As an inventor, he created a number of everyday items that people still rely upon more than two centuries later. As a scientist, his discoveries changed the world. Although he was never elected to a federal office, historians regard him as the president who was never president and the most influential of the founding fathers.
How many times did Benjamin Franklin become a father?
Franklin became a father three times over during the period from 1730 to 1743. The first child, a son, was born out of wedlock. A second son, born to Franklin and his common-law wife, Deborah Read, died of smallpox when he was four. His third child, Sarah Franklin, grew up, married and lived into old age.
What did Franklin do in 1747?
The talks inspired Franklin's decades-long exploration of electricity, including his famous episode of flying a kite in a thunder storm to prove that lighting was charged with electricity.
Why did Franklin go to London?
He was charged with mounting a protest over the influence of the William Penn family, who had established Pennsylvania and retained control there as well as the right of taxation.
What was Franklin's job before returning to the states?
Finding himself stranded and abandoned by the governor, Franklin worked as a typesetter in a London printing shop before returning to the states in 1726. A year later, at the age of 21, Franklin formed the Junto, also called the Leather Apron Club.
What were Franklin's inventions?
His inventions of the electric ground and the lighting rod resulted from his experimentations. Franklin extended his influence beyond the publishing trade when he helped establish the Academy and College of Philadelphia, which opened its doors in 1751. It formed the foundation for the later University of Pennsylvania.
Overview
Inventions and scientific inquiries
Franklin was a prodigious inventor. Among his many creations were the lightning rod, Franklin stove, bifocal glasses and the flexible urinary catheter. He never patented his inventions; in his autobiography he wrote, "... as we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and gene…
Ancestry
Benjamin Franklin's father, Josiah Franklin, was a tallow chandler, soaper, and candlemaker. Josiah Franklin was born at Ecton, Northamptonshire, England, on December 23, 1657, the son of Thomas Franklin, a blacksmith and farmer, and his wife, Jane White. Benjamin's father and all four of his grandparents were born in England.
Josiah Franklin had a total of seventeen children with his two wives. He married his first wife, An…
Early life
Franklin was born on Milk Street in Boston, Massachusetts on January 17, 1706, and baptized at Old South Meeting House. As a child growing up along the Charles River, Franklin recalled that he was "generally the leader among the boys."
Franklin's father wanted him to attend school with the clergy but only had enou…
Public life
In 1736, Franklin created the Union Fire Company, one of the first volunteer firefighting companies in America. In the same year, he printed a new currency for New Jersey based on innovative anti-counterfeiting techniques he had devised. Throughout his career, he was an advocate for paper money, publishing A Modest Enquiry into the Nature and Necessity of a Paper Currency in 1729, a…
Death
Franklin suffered from obesity throughout his middle-aged and later years, which resulted in multiple health problems, particularly gout, which worsened as he aged. In poor health during the signing of the US Constitution in 1787, he was rarely seen in public from then until his death.
Benjamin Franklin died from pleuritic attack at his home in Philadelphia on Apri…
Political, social, and religious views
Like the other advocates of republicanism, Franklin emphasized that the new republic could survive only if the people were virtuous. All his life, he explored the role of civic and personal virtue, as expressed in Poor Richard's aphorisms. He felt that organized religion was necessary to keep men good to their fellow men, but rarely attended religious services himself. When he met Voltaire in Par…
Interests and activities
Franklin is known to have played the violin, the harp, and the guitar. He also composed music, notably a string quartet in early classical style. While he was in London, he developed a much-improved version of the glass harmonica, in which the glasses rotate on a shaft, with the player's fingers held steady, instead of the other way around. He worked with the London glassblower Charles James to c…
Benjamin Franklin’s Early Years
Benjamin Franklin: Printer and Publisher
Benjamin Franklin and Philadelphia
Benjamin Franklin's Inventions
Benjamin Franklin and The American Revolution
- In 1754, at a meeting of colonial representatives in Albany, New York, Franklin proposed a plan for uniting the colonies under a national congress. Although his Albany Plan was rejected, it helped lay the groundwork for the Articles of Confederation, which became the first constitution of the United States when ratified in 1781. In 1757, Franklin t...
Benjamin Franklin’s Later Years