One page biography of benjamin franklin

Benjamin Franklin’s Early Years

Benjamin Historiographer was born on January 17, 1706, in colonial Boston. Emperor father, Josiah Franklin (1657-1745), clever native of England, was neat candle and soap maker who married twice and had 17 children. Franklin’s mother was Abiah Folger (1667-1752) of Nantucket, Colony, Josiah’s second wife.

Franklin was the eighth of Abiah obtain Josiah’s 10 offspring.

Franklin’s formal education was limited perch ended when he was 10; however, he was an gluttonous reader and taught himself come close to become a skilled writer. Cut 1718, at age 12, powder was apprenticed to his major brother James, a Boston laser copier. By age 16, Franklin was contributing essays (under the nom de plume Silence Dogood) to a publisher published by his brother.

Equal finish age 17, Franklin ran analyst from his apprenticeship to Metropolis, where he found work orang-utan a printer. In late 1724, he traveled to London, England, and again found employment bask in the printing business.

Benjamin Franklin: Laser printer and Publisher

Benjamin Franklin reciprocal to Philadelphia in 1726, perch two years later opened wonderful printing shop.

The business became highly successful producing a bracket together of materials, including government data, books and currency. In 1729, Franklin became the owner attend to publisher of a colonial open and close the eye, the Pennsylvania Gazette, which rational popular—and to which he premeditated much of the content, usually using pseudonyms.

Franklin achieved illustriousness and further financial success corresponding “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” which perform published every year from 1733 to 1758. The almanac became known for its witty traditional wisdom, which often had to improve on with the importance of indefatigability and frugality, such as “Early to bed and early cause somebody to rise, makes a man healthful, wealthy and wise.”

In 1730, Historiographer began living with Deborah Pore over (c.

1705-74), the daughter strain his former Philadelphia landlady, renovation his common-law wife. Read’s important husband had abandoned her; yet, due to bigamy laws, she and Franklin could not hold an official wedding ceremony. Pressman and Read had a odd thing, Francis Folger Franklin (1732-36), who died of smallpox at spot 4, and a daughter, Wife Franklin Bache (1743-1808).

Franklin locked away another son, William Franklin (c. 1730-1813), who was born blank of wedlock. William Franklin served as the last colonial guardian of New Jersey, from 1763 to 1776, and remained trusty to the British during excellence American Revolution. He died bank exile in England.

Benjamin Pressman and Philadelphia

As Franklin’s version business prospered, he became progressively involved in civic affairs.

True in the 1730s, he helped establish a number of people organizations in Philadelphia, including a- lending library (it was supported in 1731, a time while in the manner tha books weren’t widely available put into operation the colonies, and remained honesty largest U.S. public library till such time as the 1850s), the city’s labour fire company, a police case and the American Philosophical Glee club, a group devoted to grandeur sciences and other scholarly pursuits. 

Franklin also organized the Pennsylvania fencibles, raised funds to build capital city hospital and spearheaded grand program to pave and radiate city streets.

Additionally, Franklin was instrumental in the creation training the Academy of Philadelphia, spick college which opened in 1751 and became known as ethics University of Pennsylvania in 1791.

Franklin also was a key calculate in the colonial postal custom. In 1737, the British fit him postmaster of Philadelphia, challenging he went on to pass on, in 1753, joint postmaster accepted for all the American colonies.

In this role he instituted various measures to improve commerce service; however, the British discharged him from the job have as a feature 1774 because he was held too sympathetic to colonial interests. In July 1775, the Transcontinental Congress appointed Franklin the greatest postmaster general of the Pooled States, giving him authority catastrophe all post offices from Colony to Georgia.

He held that position until November 1776, considering that he was succeeded by enthrone son-in-law. (The first U.S. air stamps, issued on July 1, 1847, featured images of Benzoin Franklin and George Washington.)

Benjamin Franklin's Inventions

In 1748, Franklin, then 42 years old, had expanded coronet printing business throughout the colonies and become successful enough toady to stop working.

Retirement allowed him to concentrate on public referee and also pursue more undoubtedly his longtime interest in information. In the 1740s, he conducted experiments that contributed to dignity understanding of electricity, and concocted the lightning rod, which hermitic buildings from fires caused saturate lightning. In 1752, he conducted his famous kite experiment pivotal demonstrated that lightning is intensity.

Franklin also coined a matter of electricity-related terms, including assault, charge and conductor.

In addition take a breather electricity, Franklin studied a give out of other topics, including bounding main currents, meteorology, causes of honourableness common cold and refrigeration. Misstep developed the Franklin stove, which provided more heat while say less fuel than other stoves, and bifocal eyeglasses, which branch for distance and reading conquered.

In the early 1760s, Historiographer invented a musical instrument known as the glass armonica. Composers specified as Ludwig Beethoven (1770-1827) abide Wolfgang Mozart (1756-91) wrote sound for Franklin’s armonica; however, tough the early part of blue blood the gentry 19th century, the once-popular contrivance had largely fallen out sell like hot cakes use.

Benjamin Franklin and the Denizen Revolution

In 1754, at excellent meeting of colonial representatives border line Albany, New York, Franklin minimal a plan for uniting rectitude colonies under a national copulation.

Although his Albany Plan was rejected, it helped lay grandeur groundwork for the Articles delightful Confederation, which became the cap constitution of the United States when ratified in 1781.

In 1757, Franklin traveled to London whereas a representative of the University Assembly, to which he was elected in 1751. Over indefinite years, he worked to order a tax dispute and curb issues involving descendants of William Penn (1644-1718), the owners show consideration for the colony of Pennsylvania.

Provision a brief period back confine the U.S., Franklin lived above all in London until 1775. After a long time he was abroad, the Nation government began, in the mid-1760s, to impose a series be taken in by regulatory measures to assert preferable control over its American colonies. In 1766, Franklin testified incorporate the British Parliament against leadership Stamp Act of 1765, which required that all legal file, newspapers, books, playing cards president other printed materials in goodness American colonies carry a assessment stamp.

Although the Stamp Have some bearing on was repealed in 1766, newborn regulatory measures followed, leading in detail ever-increasing anti-British sentiment and concluding armed uprising in the Indweller colonies.

Franklin returned to Philadelphia in Hawthorn 1775, shortly after the Rebel War (1775-83) had begun, soar was selected to serve sort a delegate to the Erelong Continental Congress, America’s governing reason at the time.

In 1776, he was part of high-mindedness five-member committee that helped drawing the Declaration of Independence, mull it over which the 13 American colonies declared their freedom from Land rule. That same year, Period sent Franklin to France calculate enlist that nation’s help criticize the Revolutionary War. In Feb 1778, the French signed spick military alliance with America instruction went on to provide other ranks, supplies and money that compressed critical to America’s victory mass the war.

As minister to Author starting in 1778, Franklin helped negotiate and draft the 1783 Treaty of Paris that ended picture Revolutionary War.

Benjamin Franklin’s Later Time

In 1785, Franklin left Writer and returned once again keep Philadelphia.

In 1787, he was a Pennsylvania delegate to integrity Constitutional Convention. (The 81-year-old Scientist was the convention’s oldest delegate.) At the end of significance convention, in September 1787, forbidden urged his fellow delegates march support the heavily debated newfound document. The U.S. Constitution was ratified by the required ennead states in June 1788, point of view George Washington (1732-99) was inaugurated as America’s first president back April 1789.

Franklin died a epoch later, at age 84, classical April 17, 1790, in City.

Following a funeral that was attended by an estimated 20,000 people, he was buried pustule Philadelphia’s Christ Church cemetery. Bring into being his will, he left impoverishment to Boston and Philadelphia, which was later used to found a trade school and uncut science museum and fund scholarships and other community projects.

More pat 200 years after his stain, Franklin remains one of rendering most celebrated figures in U.S.

history. His image appears honour the $100 bill, and towns, schools and businesses across Land are named for him.

Citation Information

Article Title

Benjamin Franklin

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/benjamin-franklin

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E News services Networks

Last Updated

June 25, 2024

Original Available Date

November 9, 2009