Franklin, Benjamin

FRANKLIN, BENJAMIN

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) was an American Renaissance man, knowledgeable on a variety of subjects and active in many careers throughout his lifetime. Famous for his involvement in writing of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, as well as for his experiments with lightning, Franklin's lesser known accomplishments include work as a writer, a publisher, and a businessman.

Benjamin Franklin was born January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts, the fifteenth child and youngest son in a family of seventeen children. Because his family was not wealthy, young Franklin was only afforded two years of formal schooling. At age ten he was apprenticed to his father's business, a tallow shop, where he was to learn the craft of candle and soap making. Franklin disliked the work and sought an apprenticeship as a printer with his older brother, James. Franklin spent five years working and learning under James and became an expert printer.

Franklin described himself as a printer for the rest of his life. In the eighteenth century printers were more like today's publishers than simple typesetters. A successful printer needed to be a researcher, writer, and editor as well as the technician who set the type and printed the page. Franklin excelled at this craft and learned to write well on many subjects. He published at age twelve his first of many works and continued to write until his death.

At age seventeen Franklin left his work with brother James and moved to Philadelphia. His brother had spent time in prison for criticizing the government and Franklin learned to love the freedom he found running the paper in James' absence. Franklin found employment as a printer in Pennsylvania, but left for England in 1724. He lived there for five years, writing and improving his skills as a printer. Franklin was a supporter of the English crown in his early years and appreciated the lifestyle of London and the European continent.

But Franklin did not make his life in Europe. He returned to Philadelphia in 1729 and purchased the Pennsylvania Gazette, a bankrupt newspaper that he turned into the principle publishing house in the state. Franklin's printing business extended to partnerships with printers from Nova Scotia to the West Indies. He began a famous publication, Poor Richard's Almanack, which was very popular with the public. Franklin also operated a bookstore, became clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly, and served as postmaster for Philadelphia.

During his business career and later in life Franklin maintained an avid interest in science. His curiosity and inventiveness produced the Franklin Stove, a practical device that allowed the more efficient heating of larger rooms during winter. His study of electricity included the famous kite experiment by which he proved that lighting was electricity. This discovery led to his invention of the lightning rod, which soon appeared on buildings all over the world. His scientific efforts also included works in ship design and meteorology, and a theory of heat. In addition, he invented bifocal vision lenses and even a harmonica.

The child of humble origins and with only two years of formal schooling, Franklin achieved much of success. He was awarded multiple honorary degrees from institutions of higher learning. He took great pride in these awards, which included Masters of Arts from Harvard (1753), Yale (1753), and The College of William and Mary (1756), and doctorates from St. Andrews (1759) and Oxford (1762). As a result of his scientific labors, he was elected to the Royal Society in 1756.

Franklin became involved in civic affairs in 1727. He formed a club of tradesmen called "Junto" to work on civic improvements. Under Franklin's leadership, Junto sponsored a library, a fire company, an insurance company, a hospital, and a college to help bring about improvements within the community. In addition, the streets were paved, cleaned, and lighted because of Franklin's efforts.

Deborah Read became Ben Franklin's common-law wife on September 1, 1730. In a practical manner typical of Franklin, he refused to formally marry her in order to avoid responsibility for Read's debts from her first marriage. Franklin and Read had two children together: Francis Folger, who died of smallpox in 1736 at age four, and Sarah, born in 1743. Read and Franklin also raised an illegitimate son, William, fathered by Franklin around 1729 or 1730.

Franklin's business interests were so successful that he was able to sell them at age 42 and live comfortably on the proceeds for the next twenty years. From this retirement Franklin pursued civic and governmental affairs for the remainder of his life. He represented Pennsylvania interests in the English parliament and served as the colonial agent for Georgia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. After serving in the Second Continental Congress and assisting in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, Franklin was sent to Paris to negotiate a treaty of alliance with France at the start of the American Revolution (1775–1783). He served as a liaison in France for nine years before returning to Philadelphia, where he assisted in the drafting of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

Benjamin Franklin spent his final days living with his daughter and her family on Market Street in Philadelphia. He died on April 17, 1790. Twenty thousand people honored him in attendance at his funeral.

See also: American Revolution, Continental Congress (Second)

FURTHER READING

Becker, Carl L. Benjamin Franklin. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1946.

Commire, Anne, ed. Historic World Leaders. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1994, s.v. "Franklin, Benjamin."

Garraty, John A., and Jerome L Sternstein. Encyclopedia of American Biography. New York: HarperCollins, 1996, s.v. "Franklin, Benjamin."

Hutson, James H. The World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1998, s.v. "Franklin, Benjamin."

Van Doren, Carl. Benjamin Franklin. New York: Viking, 1938.