Ending, as it does, with the year 1757, the autobiography leaves important facts un-recorded. It has seemed advisable, therefore, to detail the chief events in Franklin's life, from the beginning, in the following list:
1706 He is born, in Boston, and baptized in the Old South Church.
1714 At the age of eight, enters the Grammar School.
1716 Becomes his father's assistant in the tallow-chandlery business.
1718 Apprenticed to his brother James, printer.
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1721 Writes ballads and peddles them, in printed form, in the streets; contributes, anonymously, to the "New England Courant," and temporarily edits that paper; becomes a free-thinker, and a vegetarian.
1723 Breaks his indenture and removes to Philadelphia; obtaining employment in Keimer's printing-office; abandons vegetarianism.
1724 Is persuaded by Governor Keith to establish himself independently, and goes to London to buy type; works at his trade there, and publishes "Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain."
1726 Returns to Philadelphia; after serving as clerk in a dry goods store, becomes manager of Keimer's printing-house.
1727 Founds the Junto, or "Leathern Apron" Club.
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1728 With Hugh Meredith, opens a printing-office.
1729 Becomes proprietor and editor of the "Pennsylvania Gazette"; prints, anonymously, "Nature and Necessity of a Paper Currency"; opens a stationer's shop.
1730 Marries Rebecca Read.
1731 Founds the Philadelphia Library.
1732 Publishes the first number of "Poor Richard's Almanac" under the pseudonym of "Richard Saunders." The Almanac, which continued for twenty-five years to contain his witty, worldly-wise sayings, played a very large part in bringing together and molding the American character which was at that time made up of so many diverse and scattered types.
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1738 Begins to study French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin.
1736 Chosen clerk of the General Assembly; forms the Union Fire Company of Philadelphia.
1737 Elected to the Assembly; appointed Deputy Postmaster-General; plans a city police.
1742 Invents the open, or "Franklin," stove.
1743 Proposes a plan for an Academy, which is adopted 1749 and develops into the University of Pennsylvania.
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1744 Establishes the American Philosophical Society.
1746 Publishes a pamphlet, "Plain Truth," on the necessity for disciplined defense, and forms a military company; begins electrical experiments.
1748 Sells out his printing business; is appointed on the Commission of the Peace, chosen to the Common Council, and to the Assembly.
1749 Appointed a Commissioner to trade with the Indians.
1751 Aids in founding a hospital.
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1752 Experiments with a kite and discovers that lightning is an electrical discharge.
1753 Awarded the Copley medal for this discovery, and elected a member of the Royal Society; receives the degree of M.
I am from a small town called Bristol Borough, Pennsylvania. It is along the Delaware River, about 25 miles northeast of Philadelphia. Bristol Borough was founded in 1681. This is the states third oldest borough, that was once a busy river port with important shipbuilding activities (Cohen 438). It is predominately residential, with the exception of Mill Street, the community's traditional commercial street. It includes fine examples of many major styles and idioms, reflecting the community's long history and its importance as a transportation and commercial center (Owen 133). The 28-acre Bristol Industrial Historic District includes the original town of Bristol and the residential area that extends northeast along the bank of the Delaware River (Owen 132). The Bristol Industrial Historic District is a significant collection of the factory and mill complexes containing elements dating from 1875-1937 (Owen 133). Among the mills is the Grundy Mill Complex. It is a visual representation of industrial growth of Bristol Borough. This mill was run by Joseph R. Grundy. The dramatic scale of later buildings stand as the source and monument to the wealth and power of Joseph Grundy (Owen 145). Joseph Grundy was the proprietor of the Bristol Worsted Mills, and one of the most prominent manufacturers and businessmen of Bucks County (Green 252). The Bristol Worsted Mills no longer run but the building is still standing. Bristol owes a lot to Joseph R. Grundy for his contributions to the people and the town itself.
Skemp offers an insight to the fatal event hat occurred in Benjamin Franklin's life when he entered the Privy Council on the night of January 28, 1774. A person who professed his loyalty to the British crown, Mr. Franklin changed changed from a loyalist to a patriot. The analysis presented by Ms. Skemp of Bejamin's life allow and show the how the man who was once a loyalist that did everything in his power to keep the ties between the colonists and British changed his ways. While more could have been included about the Cockpit event, Ms. Kemp does a wonderful job of proving her thesis and showing how the events of the Cockpit change Mr. Franklin and lead to his involvement of the Thirteen Colonies becoming a
A local Boston silversmith known for his great work. He was kind and generous. He was a member of the secretive “Observers” club at the Boston Observer. He is a Whig.
In the autumn of 1830 he moved to New York State and attended the academy at Canandaigua where he began his study of law. Realizing that his mother wouldn’t be unable to support him through his courses, he was determined to go to the west, and on June 24, 1833, he set out for Cleveland, Ohio, where he was dangerously ill with fever for four months. He then visited Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis, and Jacksonville, Illinois, but failed to receive any employment. Feeling Discouraged, he walked to Winchester. Here he found employment as clerk to an auctioneer at an administrator's sale, and was paid six dollars. He studied law at night, and on Saturdays practiced before justices of the peace.
John Dickinson, from Letters from a farmer in Pennsylvania (1768) from Voices of America Past & Present pgs. 66-67
Franklin’s accomplishments arose from the influence of family, friends, education, and personal experience with being African American. He had a difficult task as an historian as he was writing about the neglected history of his minority group while being an advocate for the rights of this group. This could be perceived as a conflict of interest, but he thought of it as being beneficial. His method of writing was not to promote African Americans, but to interpret their involvement in the framework of American history. This was not something that had been done extensively and thoroughly before. Franklin set the stage and helped to create a widely accepted field of history.
Winthrop, John. “Winthrop’s Journal “History of New England” 1630-1649. Vol. I. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. 1908 http://www.archive.org/details/winthropsjournal00wint. Web. 1 Feb 2014
"POSTSCRIPT to the Pennsylvania Gazette, No. 2075. BOSTON, September 15." Town Meeting. Boston: The Pennsylvania Gazette, September 1768.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Heath Anthology Of American Literature: Early Nineteenth Century, 1800-1865. Ed. Paule Lauter. 6th ed. B. Belmont: Wadsworth Publshing Company, 2009. 2431-2439. Print.
“Do not silence the boy, dear. He is on the something. The Stamp Act violates our basic rights under the Magna Carta and it, furthermore, impacts our lives directly. In every colony, printing companies are closing shop either to protest the Stamp Act or for lack of business. Just south of here in Georgia, The Georgia Gazette was forced to halt production. The Stamp Act is truly ruining the economy of the colonies and I fear this is but only the beginning,” Father claimed (Hart, Bower, and Lobdell 67 and “Stamp Act (1765)).
Samuel Johnson, prominent English author, lived a life which was appears to have been unpretentious on the surface, however his life was filled with numerous complications, extreme suffering and massive psychological troubles. Also, despite all the struggles and suffering in his life, he had a “passionate concern for humanity and even said, ‘I have often thought that there has rarely passed a life of which a judicious and faithful narrative would not be useful’” ( Green ). Samuel Johnson was born September 7, 1709 in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England in the home above his fifty-two year old father’s struggling bookshop. His father had gained prosperity but it did not endure the enterprises he was involved in, forcing the family into financial distress. As a result, Samuel Johnson would feel the financial distress for the first fifty years of his life. Sarah Ford, his mother, was forty years old when he was born. She was from a respectable family but married a poor man of intellectual tastes (Green). His parents did not share a happy marriage and rarely conversed. After his father’s death he developed an appreciation of his mother’s character and determination; she would operate the bookshop for almost thirty years. On the other hand, she was firm, narrow minded and self-centered which made her unable to fill the emotional needs of her children (Green). It is speculated that Johnson’s younger brother may have committed suicide at the age of twenty-five and Johnson’s life would be plagued with psychological issues which were directly related to his mother (Green).
This paper also seeks to compare the autobiographies of Benjamin Franklin and Fredrick Douglas. In an e...
A general theme in Franklin's writings is the differences between the private and public self and how the two interact. Parts One and Two of his Autobiography were written at different times and intended for different audiences. In Part One Franklin is speaking to his Son, (who was then the Governor of New Jersey) a public figure. It was started in 1771. Part Two was begun...
Pope, Alexander. "An Essay on Man." in Eighteenth-Century English Literature. Eds. Geoffrey Tillotson, Paul Fussell, Jr. and Marshall Waingrow. New York: Harcourt, 1969. 635-51.
Lauter, Paul. The Heath Anthology of American Literature Fifth Edition Volume B Early Nineteenth Century: 1800-1865 2006