Who was Benjamin Franklin?
Just a hint: He was never President of the United States
Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat.
Once in Philadelphia, Franklin stuck to his roots and became a printer's apprentice once more, an area in which he gained renown. After some time, including an unintentional few months stuck in England, Franklin borrowed some money and set up his own print shop. In 1730 Benjamin married his childhood sweetheart, Deborah Read. In addition to running a print shop, Franklin ran a book store and the family also ran their own store, with Read selling everything from soap to fabric. In 1729, Benjamin Franklin bought a newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette. Franklin not only printed the paper, but often contributed pieces to the paper under different aliases. His newspaper soon became the most successful in the colonies. This newspaper, among other firsts, would print the first political cartoon, authored by Franklin himself.
In 1733 he started publishing Poor Richard's Almanac.
In the early 1750's he turned to the study of electricity. His observations, including his kite experiment which verified the nature of electricity and lightning brought Franklin international fame.
By 1957, Franklin was actively involved in politics and was in England as a representative of Pennsylvania in its fight with the descendants of the Penn family over who should represent the Colony. He remained in England to 1775, as a Colonial representative not only of Pennsylvania, but of Georgia, New Jersey and Massachusetts as well. He eventually decided to break ties with England after getting Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act, as he had grown tired of the rampant corruption in the British government. It was then that he began to seriously advocate for the Colonies to become a unified nation apart from England.
Franklin began to actively work toward independence.
The French loved Franklin. He had controlled lightning, he spoke French, was a notorious flirt and the ladies loved him (his wife had died in 1775). Partly because of Franklin's popularity, the government of France signed a Treaty of Alliance with the Americans in 1778. He was able to make sure that America maintained the alliance with France and in 1783, Franklin was there to sign the Treaty of Paris, after the Americans had won the Revolution.
After returning to America in his late seventies, he became President of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania. He served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and signed the Constitution. One of his last public acts was writing an anti-slavery treatise in 1789.
Franklin died on April 17, 1790 at the age of 84.
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The American Revolution
Tp learn more about the American Revolution in general and the major battles that took place during it, check out this interactive website!
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/static/neh/interactives/americanrevolution/