Benjamin Franklin in the 1980s

“A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. There will be sleeping enough in the grave.” –Benjamin Franklin. Ben Franklin accomplished so much in his life of 84 years. He came from a big family of seventeen children that resided in Boston. It is a wonder how the son of a poor soap maker could end up so successful financially and socially. Described as a witty and charming man, he was well-known around the world. The ways the American government works was based upon ideas of Mr. Franklin. His inventions were the foundation for many new products made in the upcoming decades. The 1980s was a time of new discoveries and a revival in the government and society. A disease known as AIDS came to light, hard drugs such as cocaine were more commonly used, and popular culture at the time showcased America’s obsession with wealth. Ronald Reagan served two terms as president and introduced a system of “Reagonomics”, while striving to fight the spread of communism around the globe. The innovations made by Benjamin Franklin greatly impacted the world and forwarded a newborn nation. If Ben Franklin was alive in the 1980s, his childhood, personal life, scientific discoveries, and political involvement would be drastically different.

It is possible that the childhood of Benjamin Franklin would not have been the same if he grew up in the 1980s. He was the youngest out of ten brothers, and had seven sisters. His family was not one for closeness, considering how big it was. If it was in the ‘80s, the Franklin family would not have been so large due to the new forms of contraceptives that weren’t available during his time. The average family size in the 1980s was 2.75 people, as opposed to his household of nineteen members. He was born ...

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