Essay Summary of Benjamin Franklin
The Benjamin Franklin is quintessential American in the American history. The Benjamin Franklin was a great scientist, politician, printer, musician, economist, inventor, and environmentalist. He was a person with many historical stands with him which illustrated his excellence in various field whether it was politics or science or painting or any other field. He was an intuitive and sensitive person with many qualities. He was one of the persons who were known as the founders of America. He had a diverse area of interests and thus was having diverse qualities.
He was a political leader, but at the same time he was a scientist also. This shows his quality of grasping and using his skills. The life p of Benjamin Franklin started in 1706 and lasted up to 1790. This was remarkable as the age above 80 was very rare in the in 17th century. He was the core person in the American Revolution who utilized his qualities to evolve as the politician in the American history. He used his scientific, diplomatic, industrial, philosophical ways to contribute to American Revolution.
He conveyed his knowledge throughout the America for the building and construction of the America of his beliefs. Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts on 17th January, 1706. (Benjamin Franklin 1) His father Josiah Franklin was a wax maker. His mother’s name was Abiah Folger. The Benjamin Franklin was the youngest son among the 17 children from his father. He was 15th in his brothers and sisters. Initially his father earned his money from selling soap and candles. He was very naughty boy in his childhood. But his father did not earn well.
His father as was not a rich person could not send him to school, so the Benjamin Franklin did his studies through voracious studies. Thus the Benjamin Franklin was not having enough education in his childhood as his father was a poor person. He was a person with very hard will and thus he evolved himself from the core. The Benjamin Franklin started working with his father and sold soap and wax. He was an intelligent and practical person without relying on the theories. After this, he started working with his brother for five year in printing press.
During these five years he had access to many books which he had borrowed from his partner sellers. Thus he started his education actually from these books related to various fields. Thus he gained his control over many fields and which he utilized further in his life. The elder brother of Benjamin Franklin started a news paper, The New England Courant where Benjamin started working and used his skills and became the apprentice. He wanted to write for his news paper, but his elder brother was against his writing in news paper.
He moved to Philadelphia from Boston and worked as a printer. The elder brother of Franklin did not allow him to write for the newspaper, so he wrote some articles with a pseudo name even. He was a man with great deed. The Benjamin Franklin started working as a clerk in Denham’s merchant business. He founded a library with his friends for studying the books as the books were rare and expensive to purchase. This showed that he was very fond of reading and studying.
In 1728, after the death of Deham, Franklin established a printing partnership with Hugh Meredith. In 1732, Franklin started the newspaper Philadelphische Zeitung. Up to 1734 he was a prominent person in Pennsylvania and for the first time he published the first book, reprinting of James Anderson’s The Constitution of the Free Masons. He wanted to became a high quality writer which would be renowned for his works. He spent his many years in England and made known his famous Poor Richard’s Almanac and the Pennsylvania.
In his these books he used his writing skills and cited many proverbs which got famous from that time. These proverbs are used today also. He formed a public lending library and fire department in America. He was against many political steps like Iron Act in 1750, the Albany Plan of Union in 1754, but favored the stand for paper money as currency. He was acknowledged as a national hero in America at that time when he went forward to oppose the parliament to put down the Stamp Act.
He also became a minister and went to Paris where he was respected comprehensively by the French people. Later in his life he became the Postmaster General and was the President of the Supreme Executive Council. He made great efforts to contribute in the American Revolution. The Benjamin Franklin was a writer also through out his life. His famous works were Poor Richard’s Almanac. This book comprised of many proverbs like “a penny saved is two pence dear”, “Fish and visitors sink in three days”.
These were some of the famous proverbs from his book. These famous proverbs showed his high level of his writing. Franklin was a scientist and an inventor also in his life. He was assumed to be a magnificent person in field of science in 17th century. His famous experiment of flying kite showed his deep interest in field of electricity. He showed the concept and theory for positive and negative charges. He was the first person who showed the conservation of charges. This later became a theory.
He invented Franklin stove, Catheter, Swim fins, Glass Harmonica, and bifocals. He founded the American Philosophical Society in 1743. He had a deep interest in philosophy. He was also elected as the first President of the American Philosophical Society. He started his experiments in this society about the electricity. He got retired from the printing press in 1748. In 1759 he gave his suggestion for experiment of electricity in lightening. Due to his renowned work he was elected as the first American for Royal Society’s Copley Medal.
In his political career he became a councilman in 1748 in Philadelphia and in 1751 he was elected as the Justice of Peace in Philadelphia. He was appointed as the deputy postmaster general in 1953. He was elected as chief of a delegation to Albany Congress. He was sent to England to protest against Penn family in 1757. In 1763 when Franklin returned back to Pennsylvania, where he saw some war was there known as the Pontiac’s Rebellion. There were attacks on his character during this period and so he lost his assembly election in 1764.
In 1764 when he reached England, King George III sent him back to Pennsylvania as the agent for the colony. He also became agent of Georgia, New Jersey and Massachusetts colonies also. He opposed the Stamp Act in London and later Townshend Acts of 1767 ends his wishes for working for English Government. He was a man with zeal and passion to work and to oppose also. So when he watched the disgusting acts of the English Government, he opposed them severely. This showed his character for freedom against the oppression.
The Franklin came back to Philadelphia where the American Revolution had started. The Pennsylvania Assembly had selected the Benjamin Franklin as delegate for the Second Continental Congress. He was a member of committee which drafted the Declaration of Independence of America in 1776. The Franklin devoted himself as a leader in the American Revolution for the independence of his nation. He coordinated with great Thomas Jefferson and made many changes in the drafts proposed by the Thomas Jefferson.
He was an Ambassador to France from 1776 and became the commissioner for the United States. He lived in the France up to 1785. He was very famous personalities in France as many people buy his paintings. He, when, returned to the America back then he received an honor as he was placed just below the George Washington. He became an abolitionist in America after 1785. He worked in many fields for welfare of the people also. He donated 200 Pound for the development of Franklin Collage. He also finished his autobiography during this period of 1771 to 1788.
His political career went to the peak when he was elected as the President of the Pennsylvania in 1785. He was the President for just three years. Thus this was the end of his political career. He worked as the President to work for the people and for the welfare of the country. He thus was very famous and respected among the people. When he was President, the people felt relaxation and were content. He, during his office duration worked with many great people or politician like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington etc.
Many famous writers like Thomas Paine wrote about him and admired him for his qualities. The Benjamin Franklin was a most important character in the history of America whether it was related to science or politics or development also. The Benjamin Franklin through out his life work for the America and just remained a part of American politics up to his death. His death was termed as great loss to politics in America. He advocated the republicanism of his country in his life. He advocated this concept widely.
He thought that his country when became a republic could remain when the people would attentive for their social rights and their duties. He also explained this concept in famous book Poor Richard’s Almanac. The person with a deed and character was known as Benjamin Franklin. He worked in the American Revolution for the freedom of the America from colonialism of England. He fought against the English Empire although he had worked for them. But he had a great love for his country.
He had worked as the politician through out his life and became the President of Pennsylvania for the benefit and safety of his state. He was a very wise man and had rebellion character also. He strongly opposed the English Government for Stamp Act and Townshend Act in England. He worked in many committees as the delegates to explore the new political ideas. Even he was in the committee known as Committee of Five for drafting the Declaration of Independence which was comprised of Thomas Jefferson.
He was also rewarded as the second person to George Washington in his time which was a great political honor. This honor was given to him as he was hero in American Revolution. There were many myths prevailed about Benjamin Franklin as he was a great character. Some of them were true and some of them never had been proved by the people. One of the myths was that the Benjamin Franklin was a womanizer when he was residing in France as the Ambassador from America.
He had thirteen children which were not legal. It was a myth that he had an illegal relation with a French woman. But it was termed to be a fake as no historian or any other captured any note about this relation. Although he had many woman friends associated with him like Catherine Shipley which was only eleven year old when she came in contact with Benjamin Franklin. He was very lovable character in women. But there were no proof that he had gone with any illegal relations with these women.
But he had academic, brave and scholar relations with them. The Benjamin Franklin was wise men who devoted his time and indulged himself completely to make a new and constructive America. There were many myths encountered through out his life which were accepted in the history. He was venerated for his beliefs which had grown to a myth. He called a three days of prayer session during recess in July, 1787 and clergyman for the prayers for daily meeting in the constitutional convention.
It was also stated that the after these sessions of prayer gathering, the constitution was written very speedily. This myth was true as there were many records about this myth. There was also myth related with the Benjamin Franklin that he discovered electricity when he was flying the kite and his kite got struck by the lightening. But real fact is that when Benjamin Franklin was flying a kite, his main goal was to prove the electrical nature of lightening. Hi kite just picked up the stray charges which cause the phenomenon of stray capacitance.
If his kite got struck with the lightening, he might be killed at that instant. He discovered the nature of charge in the lightening and thus discovered the electricity. He was the first person who showed high interest and make use of his high quality knowledge for this experiment. Thus this belief that the Benjamin Franklin had discovered the electricity was true. There were many myths about the acceptance of symbol of America at the time of Benjamin Franklin.
Many people wanted eagle to be the symbol, but the bald eagle was accepted as national symbol of America. These myths were also related with the Benjamin Franklin. He was not agreed upon the bald eagle to be a symbol of a nation. It did not seem good for having bald eagle as the symbol of a nation as according to the Benjamin Franklin. But in his letter to his daughter Sally on January 26, 1784(The Eagle, Ben Franklin, and the Turkey 1), he putted his doubt on using the Bald Eagle as the symbol for America.
The statement pointed to the Benjamin Franklin “a penny saved is a penny earned” represents a myth which was broken later in the history. He wanted to utilize the money through the savings. Thus he was incorporated with the foundation of habit of saving. He was closely associated with saving the money and thought that saving money is the best method of earning. But this myth was broken as the due to modernization of the society today. There are certain myths and stories behind the Benjamin Franklin which were not true.
These myths were held across the nation was due to the lack of information medium in America at that time. The medium of information was the major factor which was lagging extensively. This myths stands throughout the history because the information which was given by one person when had reached the last person, had changed due to replacement from different persons. Sometimes it might happen that, when an historian or writer had written some myths about the Benjamin Franklin, they got reached other person.
Thus these myths reached from one person to other. The major reason for the spread out of these myths was gossiping. These gossiping were the main reason for these myths. The Thomas Jefferson was very inspired with Benjamin Franklin and wrote “I have seen, with extreme indignation, the blasphemies lately vended against the memory of the father of American philosophy. But his memory will be preserved and venerated as long as the thunder of heaven shall be heard or feared. ” (The Real Benjamin Franklin, pages 232-233).
Instead of all the myths and stories which proclaimed about the Benjamin Franklin, he was renowned as the great and legendry personality of American history. He was one of the founding fathers of America. He had done widely for America and American Revolution with his full efforts. Work-Cited: 1) Benjamin Franklin, From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin 2) Thomas Jefferson, The Real Benjamin, Page 232-233. 3) The Eagle, Ben Franklin, and the Turkey. http://www. greatseal. com/symbols/turkey. html
