Benjamin Franklin
The Most Persevering Man in the American Revolution
Introduction Paragraph
Benjamin Franklin
“Success doesn’t just come and find you, you have to go out and get it”(Evan Carmichael). These words describe no one better than Benjamin Franklin, because of how hard he worked to become successful as a writer, inventor, a diplomat and at many other things, not letting his age get in his way. Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 17, 1706. As a child, Franklin’s only formal schooling was till age ten, because he was forced to apprentice in his father’s candle shop for financial reasons. However this did not seem to slow down Franklin at all, as he ended up becoming an extremely intelligent and accomplished man. In his spare time Franklin taught himself grammar and arithmetic, read all of the books he could find and learned how to write well, while also studying the arts of rhetoric and logic. Writing, a skill that Benjamin Franklin became well known and rich off of, was not something that he was simply great at when he first started. He worked hard to become the writer that he grew up to be, writing for the newspapers and improving his style by rewriting passages from London’s satirical periodical, the Spectator. During his adult years, he made a fortune in the printing and writing of newspapers and almanacs, such as “Poor Richard’s Almanac.” Franklin was also a prodigious inventor, and among his many creations were the lightning rod, glass harmonica, Franklin stove and the bifocal glasses. Not only was he a smart and accomplished man, Benjamin Franklin was the most important figure in gaining independence from Great Britain because he was an important member of the Continental Congress, and played a huge role in the Franco-American Treaty of Alliance(1778), and in the Treaty of Paris(1783).
Benjamin Franklin as a delegate in Paris in 1776
Benjamin Franklin's Electricity Experiment
Benjamin Franklin Signing the Declaration of Independence
Research Highlights
- Franklin wore old clothes, a fur cap, and no wig, even when in the King’s presence.
- The French adored him because of what they had heard about his accomplishments, and he seemed even more lovable because of his simplicity.
- After Thomas Jefferson had finished drafting the Declaration of Independence, he sent it over to Benjamin Franklin, who reviewed and made edits to it.
- At the Congress Franklin presented a "Plan of Union." He showed the colonies how they could unite for self defense.
- Franklin began the preliminary negotiations, for the Treaty of Paris of 1783, and was joined by John Jay about a month later.
- After negotiating the terms of the peace, the British not only acknowledged the USA’s independence but even offered generous boundaries for the new nation. America would have the Mississippi River as its western boundary instead of being confined to the east coast of the Appalachian mountains.