“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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This paper also seeks to compare the autobiographies of Benjamin Franklin and Fredrick Douglas. In an e...
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
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
Born in the Massachusetts Bay Colony on January 17,1706; Benjamin was the youngest son of seventeen children. From an early age Benjamin was a natural earner but discontinued his studies to work in his father’s soap and candle shop at age 10. Two years later, Franklin joined his brother as an apprentice at his printer shop. Working at the shop, Franklin indulged himself with writing and poetry. In the Autobiography, Benjamin claimed that “Prose Writing… of great Use to me in the Course of my Life, and was a principal Means of my Advancement” (“Benjamin Franklin”). With no work success in New York Franklin
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.
There are many men in American History whose lives helped shape the future of not only this nation, but of the world and one man among them is Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin is known for his inventions, his philosophies, political influence in the American Revolution and his published writings, including his autobiography. Though he is an important man in history, there are some people who say that as a person, Franklin wasn’t someone to be admired. To determine if Franklin is worthy of admiration, many critics review his autobiography and through it, many aspects of his actions and his personality throughout different experiences in his life.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a representation of the new prospect of upward mobility in colonial America during the 18th century and the development of the Age of Reason, which assisted in the conception of the idea of the “American Dream”; a dream that includes fundamentally social ideals such as democracy, equality, and material prosperity. Furthermore, Franklin’s autobiography exemplifies a significant shift in focus from religion to enlightenment and reason. Additionally, there were forces specific to Benjamin Franklin's Philadelphia, that played an important role in his perspectives and the changes that occurred within colonial America during the 18th century.
He was not afraid to take risks and developed habits that would keep him productive at all times. Franklin also developed a noble public image. “A self-created and self-willed man who moved through life at a calculated pace toward calculated ends.” is how Jonathan Yardley, a 1981 Pulitzer Prize recipient, described Franklin’s frugal yet industrious personality. Growing up, the young boy loved to read and write. When he was 16, Franklin decided to become a vegetarian, as a way to save more money so he could afford to read. The voracious reader constantly tried to improve his literacy skills and was determined to leave a mark on the world. His determination and impressive English skills early on led the young man to become a great architect, inventor, and
Benjamin Franklin was a very prominent figure in shaping our nation. Many people look at him as a role model or just as an amazing individual. He had his faults just like every human being had, and he shouldn’t be discredited because of a few minor glitches to his character. As being the only person that had signed The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and the Treaty of Paris, this immediately separates him from all others. One of the things that he wrote about in Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography and Other Writings, was trying to be the ideal person, and even made a list of virtues to live by. His virtues were very important to his lifestyle, and he followed them to a great extent.
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.
Jones, R.V. "Benjamin Franklin." Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London . no. 2 (1977): 201-225. http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/stable/531827 (accessed November 21, 2013).
There are no few historians and scholars who believe that Benjamin Franklin’s American Dream is dead. In the 18th century the story of a poor man who has never lost his power and determination in craftsmanship and got rich had an impressive effect on the American citizens. It was Ben Franklin who outstripped his humble beginnings and achieved the American Dream American people
At a time of hardship and human progression in North America especially in the 1700’s one name specifically shines out amongst all others. That name is Benjamin Franklin; a visionary inventor, politician, and true American hero.
Writer, printer, scientist, leader, inventor, and “rebel with a cause” are few of the many careers that Benjamin Franklin has been renowned for over the years. All of them truly reflect the abilities that he deployed during the birth of our nation. These qualities have also acknowledged a superb leader who serves as a prominent model and founding father to today’s generation.
Benjamin Franklin is one of the most influential and famous figures of all time. Ben Franklin if often referred to as the "self-made man," and his philosophies and principles in the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, edited by Louis P. Masur, has served as a self-help book for millions around the world. Franklin's Autobiography is a prime example of the American dream, a rag to riches story that has inspired many people to think of themselves and the community in a different light. Franklin's moral and social philosophies are packed deeply into his Autobiography. Franklin believed that improving ones self was the key to success. Self-improvement, self-education, and self-discipline are the main factors of a self-made man. Improving yourself will ultimately improve the society as a whole. Franklin speaks of principality and inclination. His idea was to produce the principle man with the awareness of man's natural inclination. Throughout the text Franklin provides examples from his own life that contradicts his moral and social philosophies. These contradictions are mostly caused by natural inclinations. Franklin uses these contradictions to educate people to be aware of their natural inclinations and to try and overcome them. Franklin's realizes that improving oneself is a road with many imperfections. Not even the "self-made man" was completely perfect.