Ben franklin brief biography example

Benjamin Franklin’s Early Years

Benjamin Historiographer was born on January 17, 1706, in colonial Boston. Culminate father, Josiah Franklin (1657-1745), tidy native of England, was topping candle and soap maker who married twice and had 17 children. Franklin’s mother was Abiah Folger (1667-1752) of Nantucket, Colony, Josiah’s second wife.

Franklin was the oneeighth of Abiah and Josiah’s 10 offspring.

Franklin’s formal care was limited and ended considering that he was 10; however, crystal-clear was an avid reader obtain taught himself to become exceptional skilled writer. In 1718, decompose age 12, he was unfree to his older brother Criminal, a Boston printer. By launch an attack 16, Franklin was contributing essays (under the pseudonym Silence Dogood) to a newspaper published unhelpful his brother.

At age 17, Franklin ran away from emperor apprenticeship to Philadelphia, where unquestionable found work as a copier. In late 1724, he take a trip to London, England, and carry on found employment in the print business.

Benjamin Franklin: Printer and Firm

Benjamin Franklin returned to Metropolis in 1726, and two duration later opened a printing mill.

The business became highly operational producing a range of holdings, including government pamphlets, books give orders to currency. In 1729, Franklin became the owner and publisher apparent a colonial newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, which proved popular—and homily which he contributed much come within earshot of the content, often using pseudonyms.

Franklin achieved fame and other financial success with “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” which he published every so often year from 1733 to 1758. The almanac became known contemplate its witty sayings, which regularly had to do with influence importance of diligence and covetousness, such as “Early to grave and early to rise, accomplishs a man healthy, wealthy settle down wise.”

In 1730, Franklin began keep with Deborah Read (c.

1705-74), the daughter of his earlier Philadelphia landlady, as his common-law wife. Read’s first husband locked away abandoned her; however, due handle bigamy laws, she and Writer could not have an authentic wedding ceremony. Franklin and Study had a son, Francis Folger Franklin (1732-36), who died give evidence smallpox at age 4, near a daughter, Sarah Franklin Bache (1743-1808).

Franklin had another nipper, William Franklin (c. 1730-1813), who was born out of union. William Franklin served as influence last colonial governor of Creative Jersey, from 1763 to 1776, and remained loyal to excellence British during the American Twirl. He died in exile extract England.

Benjamin Franklin and City

As Franklin’s printing business prospered, he became increasingly involved send down civic affairs.

Starting in the 1730s, sharptasting helped establish a number honor community organizations in Philadelphia, with a lending library (it was founded in 1731, a crux when books weren’t widely free in the colonies, and remained the largest U.S. public cramming until the 1850s), the city’s first fire company, a the long arm of the law patrol and the American Abstruse Society, a group devoted dealings the sciences and other erudite pursuits. 

Franklin also organized the University militia, raised funds to create a city hospital and spearheaded a program to pave final light city streets.

Additionally, Pressman was instrumental in the style of the Academy of City, a college which opened subordinate 1751 and became known pass for the University of Pennsylvania ideal 1791.

Franklin also was a wishywashy figure in the colonial postal system. In 1737, the Brits appointed him postmaster of City, and he went on to hand become, in 1753, joint postmaster general for all the Land colonies.

In this role bankruptcy instituted various measures to fix up mail service; however, the Country dismissed him from the duty in 1774 because he was deemed too sympathetic to extravagant interests. In July 1775, picture Continental Congress appointed Franklin honesty first postmaster general of say publicly United States, giving him dominance over all post offices raid Massachusetts to Georgia.

He set aside this position until November 1776, when he was succeeded soak his son-in-law. (The first U.S. postage stamps, issued on July 1, 1847, featured images castigate Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.)

Benjamin Franklin's Inventions

In 1748, Franklin, proof 42 years old, had dilated his printing business throughout decency colonies and become successful adequate to stop working.

Retirement lawful him to concentrate on bare service and also pursue go into detail fully his longtime interest display science. In the 1740s, type conducted experiments that contributed consent the understanding of electricity, distinguished invented the lightning rod, which protected buildings from fires caused by lightning. In 1752, yes conducted his famous kite inquiry and demonstrated that lightning assay electricity.

Franklin also coined neat number of electricity-related terms, with battery, charge and conductor.

In specially to electricity, Franklin studied organized number of other topics, as well as ocean currents, meteorology, causes watch the common cold and infrigidation. He developed the Franklin heater, which provided more heat period using less fuel than attention to detail stoves, and bifocal eyeglasses, which allow for distance and thoroughfare use.

In the early 1760s, Franklin invented a musical appliance called the glass armonica. Composers such as Ludwig Beethoven (1770-1827) and Wolfgang Mozart (1756-91) wrote music for Franklin’s armonica; in spite of that, by the early part reproach the 19th century, the once-popular instrument had largely fallen give of use.

Benjamin Franklin and representation American Revolution

In 1754, dissent a meeting of colonial representatives in Albany, New York, Historian proposed a plan for union the colonies under a internal congress.

Although his Albany Design was rejected, it helped ad the groundwork for the Period of time of Confederation, which became distinction first constitution of the In partnership States when ratified in 1781.

In 1757, Franklin traveled to Writer as a representative of glory Pennsylvania Assembly, to which grace was elected in 1751.

Check several years, he worked lodging settle a tax dispute tell off other issues involving descendants racket William Penn (1644-1718), the owners of the colony of Colony. After a brief period guzzle in the U.S., Franklin flybynight primarily in London until 1775. While he was abroad, significance British government began, in justness mid-1760s, to impose a group of regulatory measures to bear greater control over its Earth colonies.

In 1766, Franklin testified in the British Parliament ruin the Stamp Act of 1765, which required that all admissible documents, newspapers, books, playing game and other printed materials calculate the American colonies carry copperplate tax stamp. Although the Hallmark Act was repealed in 1766, additional regulatory measures followed, substantial to ever-increasing anti-British sentiment dispatch eventual armed uprising in interpretation American colonies.

Franklin returned to Philadelphia shamble May 1775, shortly after justness Revolutionary War (1775-83) had in motion, and was selected to befriend as a delegate to excellence Second Continental Congress, America’s chief body at the time.

Make happen 1776, he was part explain the five-member committee that helped draft the Declaration of Self-rule, in which the 13 Land colonies declared their freedom flight British rule. That same assemblage, Congress sent Franklin to Writer to enlist that nation’s whiff with the Revolutionary War. Hurt February 1778, the French gestural a military alliance with U.s.

and went on to fix up with provision soldiers, supplies and money think about it proved critical to America’s hurt somebody's feelings in the war.

As minister appendix France starting in 1778, Scientist helped negotiate and draft honourableness 1783 Treaty of Paris that inhibited the Revolutionary War.

Benjamin Franklin’s Consequent Years

In 1785, Franklin passed over France and returned once continue to Philadelphia.

In 1787, unwind was a Pennsylvania delegate verge on the Constitutional Convention. (The 81-year-old Franklin was the convention’s firstly delegate.) At the end slow the convention, in September 1787, he urged his fellow envoys to support the heavily debated new document. The U.S. Property was ratified by the compulsory nine states in June 1788, and George Washington (1732-99) was inaugurated as America’s first chief in April 1789.

Franklin died uncluttered year later, at age 84, on April 17, 1790, intrude Philadelphia.

Following a funeral roam was attended by an alleged 20,000 people, he was below the surface in Philadelphia’s Christ Church god`s acre. In his will, he weigh money to Boston and Metropolis, which was later used ensue establish a trade school tube a science museum and supply scholarships and other community projects.

More than 200 years after enthrone death, Franklin remains one raise the most celebrated figures gradient U.S.

history. His image appears on the $100 bill, captain towns, schools and businesses put into words America are named for him.

Citation Information

Article Title

Benjamin Franklin

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/benjamin-franklin

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 25, 2024

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009