Benjamin Franklin
By Kalyn Harmening
Introduction
Benjamin Franklin, one of our founding fathers in our country, has influenced our country with his amazing inventions and how he impacted America,but how did his early life reflect what important things he did for our country? How did his impact on America changed our industry?
Early Childhood
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 in Boston Massachusetts. He lived with nine different siblings and his parents. Benjamin's father had in total of 17 children with two different wives, and Benjamin was his 15th child and his last son. Even though Benjamin Franklin was successful in Boston Latin school, he was taken out at the age of 10 to work with his father to make soap and candles. Benjamin didn't like the job at all. At the age of 12, he wanted to work with one of his older brothers, James, at his print shop. Benjamin started writing papers in his brother's newspaper The New England Currant, He used a fake name like Ms. Silence Dogood until his brother figured out that he was writing the papers that were being published, and Ben abandoned his apprenticeship shortly afterward, then went to Philadelphia which where he lived for the rest of his life.
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Education and Careers
Benjamin was self taught how to read and to write. He went to Bostin Latin school till at the age of 10, his dad removed him to work with him. He soon started working with his Step brother, James. After the conflict with him, Ben moved to Pennsylvania and started his printing industry there. In 1723 he went to London under the auspices of Pennsylvania Governor WIlliam Keith, so that he can find work at printing shops there. He returned to Philadelphia in 1726 and worked several jobs such as a bookkeeper, shopkeeper and currency cutter. In 1727, Ben formed the "Junto", a social and self-improvement study group for young men. Later Ben was able to establish his own print shop with a partner. He was able to purchase The Pennsylvania Gazatte newspaper from a former boss, and was elected the official printer of Pennsylvania. He became a soldier of the militia at the age of 42. Ben conducted his famous kit-and-key experiment in 1752. He was elected to the Constitutional Congress and as the postmaster general for the colonies, having mapped the routes in 1762.
Accomplishments
In the 1730's, Benjamin Franklin purchased The Pennsylvania Gazette from a former boss, and was elected as the official Printer Of Pennsylvania. He also made Debrah Read as his common law wife, after her husband disappeared. I the 1740's Franklin started producing products such as the Franklin Stove that was used for cooking, swim fins for swimming, musical instruments, and more. He even was the first to discover electricity by his famous experiment with the kite and the key. He attended to many government meetings and formal discussions. He helped draft the Articles of Confederation, and the Declaration Of Independence in 1776.
Important life events
Being the bright young boy that he was, Ben found a way to write anyway. He posed as an old widow and wrote papers, which he slipped under the door at night.He was scolded and beaten for being such a rotten fellow. This was the last time he was to do this. A few years later his brother was put in jail for a very offensive writing he put in his newspaper about a certain family. Ben was left to run the printer shop alone until his brother was finished serving his time in jail.While he was in London, Deborah wrote some letters suggesting that they consider getting married; however, Ben said he was not yet ready. Apparently, he took too long to get ready, for upon his return he discovered that she had married another man.After his wife died in 1774 he became the French ambassador. When he went over to France everyone loved him. He was young rich, funny, smart, and flirtatious.His last political jab was in 1789 when he published a writing against slavery. He died in 1790 and had 20,000 people show up at his funeral
Contributions to Change
Franklin’s voracious capacity for knowledge, investigation and finding practical solutions to problems was his primary focus, as was his commitment to “doing good,” which led to the concept of paying it forward.
Interesting Facts
Benjamin Franklin knew how to speak 5 different languages: English, French, Spanish, Latin, and Italian. He created the first insurance company in the colonies called the Philadelphia Contributership.