Benjamin Franklin, born January
17, 1706, was the 10th son, and 15th child, of 17 children in the Josiah
Franklin family. Josiah was a soap and candlemaker, who lived in Boston,
Massachusetts with his second wife, Abiah Folger. Although Franklin learned to
read at an early age, he only attended grammar school for two years. By the time
he was 10 years old, Franklin was working for his father. However, he did not
enjoy the candlemaking profession, and two years later, Franklin was apprenticed
to his brother James, a printer.
For five years, Franklin sought to master the
printers' trade. During this time, he also strove to improve his education.
Franklin read numerous classics and perfected his writing style. One night,
Franklin slipped a letter, signed "Silence Dogood," under the door of
his brother's newspaper, the New England Courant. That letter and the next 13
written by Franklin were published anonymously. The essays were widely read and
acclaimed for their satire.
After a quarrel with his brother in 1723,
Franklin left Boston for Philadelphia, where he again worked in the printing
industry. He established a friendship with the Pennsylvania governor, Sir
William Keith, and at Keith's suggestion, Franklin decided to go into business
for himself. Keith offered to arrange letters of credit and introduction for
Franklin's trip to London to purchase equipment. Unfortunately, Keith proved
unreliable, and Franklin arrived in London with no means. However, he quickly
found employment in two of London's largest printing houses, and after two
years, earned enough money to return to America.
Franklin returned to Philadelphia in 1726 and
resumed his trade. By 1730, Franklin had his own business. That same year, he
married Deborah Read, a woman he met before his trip to England. Together they
had a son, who died at four years of age; and a daughter, who survived them
both.
Franklin's business ventures included the
purchase of the Pennsylvania Gazette, which, after his improvement, was
considered one of the best colonial newspapers; Poor Richard's Almanac, written
under the pseudonym, Richard Saunders, and published from 1732 to 1757; and the
printing of Pennsylvania's paper currency. In 1731, Franklin founded what is
considered the first public library. During the next several years, Franklin was
instrumental in establishing the first fire department, a police force, and the
Academy of Philadelphia, which became the University of Pennsylvania. Around
1744, Franklin invented a stove which reduced excessive chimney smoke. The
Franklin stove is still in use today.
In the 1740's, Franklin began experimenting with
electricity, which led to the invention of the lightning rod. By 1748, Franklin
had sold his printing business to devote himself to his scientific experiments.
His famous electricity experiment, which included flying a kite during a
lightning storm took place in 1752. In addition to his science projects,
Franklin was elected to the Pennsylvania assembly and held the post for 14
years. In 1753, he was appointed deputy postmaster general. The following year,
Franklin became a Pennsylvania delegate to the intercolonial congress, which met
in Albany. His suggestion to unite the colonies as a defense against the French
and natives was considered premature and rejected.
In 1757, Franklin was sent to England to
petition the king for the right to levy taxes. He remained in England for the
next five years, as the representative of the American colonies. Franklin
returned to England in 1764 as an agent of Pennsylvania, to negotiate a new
charter. He was able to secure the repeal of the Stamp Act, but Parliament
continued to levy taxes on the colonies. In 1775, with war seemingly inevitable,
Franklin returned to America. Shortly thereafter, he was made a member of the
Second Continental Congress and helped draft the Declaration of Independence.
Thomas Jefferson supposed stated that the only reason Franklin didn't write the
entire Declaration was because he would include too many jokes.
In December, 1776, Franklin, age 71, traveled to
France to successfully negotiate a treaty of commerce and defensive alliance. He
remained in France for nine years, working on trade treaties. Franklin became a
hero to the French, and his company was sought by diplomats and nobility. He was
honored by Louis XVI, and his portrait was placed on everything from chamber
pots to snuff boxes.
Franklin returned to Philadelphia in 1785. Two
years later, he became a member of the Constitutional Convention. Franklin was
bedridden during the final year of his life and died on April 17, 1790. As one
of his final public acts, he signed a petition to the U.S. Congress urging the
abolition of slavery, just two months before his death.
