ENA - Benjamin Franklin Lesson

Benjamin Franklin Lesson

No doubt you already know quite a bit about Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790, often called "The First American." Though he achieved more than can be fully understood in one lesson, here is an overview of Franklin's life and some of his contributions to our great country:

  • Born on January 17, 1706Ben Franklin was a creative inventor who lived the American Dream and was contributing author in the American Revolution.
  • 15th child of 17 children, the youngest boy
  • Learned to read early and did well at Boston Latin School
  • Apprenticed at age 12 to his brother, James, printer of the first newspaper in Boston
  • Wanted to write for the paper, but wasn't allowed, so he sent in editorial letters under the pseudonym, Silence Dogood. Readers loved these letters, but when James found out, he was angry at Franklin.
  • Escaped and settled in Philadelphia, where he took a common-law wife, Deborah Read, and had several children
  • Made The Pennsylvania Gazette into the most widely read paper in the colonies
  • Poor Richard's Almanack published in 1732 - 1758
  • Became one of the wealthiest men in Pennsylvania
  • Joined the Pennsylvania militia, at age 42
  • Served as the Pennsylvania Colony's agent to England, where he remained off and on for the next 20 years
  • Eventually came to believe in slavery as inherently evil and freed his slaves in the 1760s
  • Testified before Parliament and helped get the Stamp Act repealed in 1766
  • Sent back to the colonies after he made public the papers of the Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson, which argued for restricting the freedom of the colonists
  • Elected to Second Continental Congress in 1775 and appointed first Postmaster General for the colonies
  • Helped draft the Declaration of Independence
  • Did not intercede when his Loyalist son William was imprisoned and later left him little in his will
  • Elected Ambassador to France and negotiated support for the Revolutionary War
  • Helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris to end the Revolutionary War in 1783
  • Elected to represent Pennsylvania at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 - oldest delegate at age of 81
  • Authored the Great Compromise that resulted in the ratification of the U.S. Constitution - proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate
  • Died April 17, 1790

Did you know that Ben Franklin invented bifocals?

Other Contributions

 

  • Helped create the first subscription library in the US, the Library Company of Philadelphia, to provide books on loan to those who wanted to better themselves through reading but couldn't afford many books of their own
  • Invented bifocals, lightning rod, rocking chair, flexible catheter, American penny, Franklin stove
  • Published pamphlets on economics, free will, education of youth, politics, science, slavery
  • Discovered the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic, cutting 2 weeks off the travel time between Europe and North America

 

 

 

 

Now please view the following video, which will give you a better sense of Franklin's personality, reputation, and influence on the colonies and the young American nation.

Franklin was known for his wit, intelligence, and humility. From 1732 - 1758, he published Poor Richard's Almanack under the pseudonym of Richard Saunders. Almanacs were annual publications popular during this time and usually included information about the weather, astrology, astronomy, calendars, poems, and sayings. But what made Franklin's version so popular were the aphorisms (a short saying that presents general truths or clever observations about life). Many of these sayings, such as "There are no gains without pains" or "One day is worth two tomorrows," are still remembered in modified form today.

At the age of 22, Franklin wrote his own epitaph, though, after his death, it was not engraved on his tombstone. His words should give you a feel for his sense of humor. He wrote, "The body of B. Franklin, Printer (Like the Cover of an Old Book Its Contents torn Out And Stript of its Lettering and Gilding) Lies Here, Food for Worms. But the Work shall not be Lost; For it will (as he Believ'd) Appear once More In a New and More Elegant Edition Revised and Corrected By the Author."

 

Reading Assignment

You are now ready to read an excerpt from Franklin's autobiography. You will also look at several of his famous aphorisms. Both of these resources are linked below. As you read The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Links to an external site. keep in mind everything the author contributed to his community and contrast these accomplishments with his humility and self-deprecation. Pay careful attention to his words of wisdom and his plan for improving himself, and you will learn many effective approaches for improving your own life in whatever area(s) you desire.

Excerpt from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Text Link Links to an external site.

 

 

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