short biography of benjamin franklin

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A Quick Biography of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on January 17, 1706. He was the tenth son of soap maker, Josiah Franklin. Benjamin's mother was Abiah Folger, the second wife of Josiah. In all, Josiah would father 17 children.

Apprentice Printer

When Benjamin was 15 his brother started The New England Courant the first "newspaper" in Boston. Though there were two papers in the city before James's Courant , they only reprinted news from abroad. James's paper carried articles, opinion pieces written by James's friends, advertisements, and news of ship schedules.

Benjamin wanted to write for the paper too, but he knew that James would never let him. After all, Benjamin was just a lowly apprentice. So Ben began writing letters at night and signing them with the name of a fictional widow, Silence Dogood. Dogood was filled with advice and very critical of the world around her, particularly concerning the issue of how women were treated. Ben would sneak the letters under the print shop door at night so no one knew who was writing the pieces. They were a smash hit, and everyone wanted to know who was the real "Silence Dogood."

After 14 letters, Ben confessed that he had been writing the letters all along. While James's friends thought Ben was quite precocious and funny, James scolded his brother and was very jealous of the attention paid to him.

Before long the Franklins found themselves at odds with Boston's powerful Puritan preachers, the Mathers. Smallpox was a deadly disease in those times, and the Mathers supported inoculation; the Franklins' believed inoculation only made people sicker. And while most Bostonians agreed with the Franklins, they did not like the way James made fun of the clergy, during the debate. Ultimately, James was thrown in jail for his views, and Benjamin was left to run the paper for several issues.

Upon release from jail, James was not grateful to Ben for keeping the paper going. Instead he kept harassing his younger brother and administering beatings from time to time. Ben could not take it and decided to run away in 1723.

Escape to Philadelphia

Running away was illegal. In early America, people all had to have a place in society and runaways did not fit in anywhere. Regardless Ben took a boat to New York where he hoped to find work as a printer. He didn't, and walked across New Jersey, finally arriving in Philadelphia via a boat ride. After debarking, he used the last of his money to buy some rolls. He was wet, disheveled, and messy when his future wife, Deborah Read, saw him on that day, October, 6, 1723. She thought him odd-looking, never dreaming that seven years later they would be married.

Franklin found work as an apprentice printer. He did so well that the governor of Pennsylvania promised to set him up in business for himself if young Franklin would just go to London to buy fonts and printing equipment. Franklin did go to London, but the governor reneged on his promise and Benjamin was forced to spend several months in England doing print work.

Benjamin had been living with the Read family before he left for London. Deborah Read, the very same girl who had seen young Benjamin arrive in Philadelphia, started talking marriage, with the young printer. But Ben did not think he was ready. While he was gone, she married another man.

Upon returning to Philadelphia, Franklin tried his hand at helping to run a shop, but soon went back to being a printer's helper. Franklin was a better printer than the man he was working for, so he borrowed some money and set himself up in the printing business. Franklin seemed to work all the time, and the citizens of Philadelphia began to notice the diligent young businessman. Soon he began getting the contract to do government jobs and started thriving in business.

In 1728, Benjamin fathered a child named William. The mother of William is not known. However, in 1730 Benjamin married his childhood sweetheart, Deborah Read. Deborah's husband had run off, and now she was able to marry.

In addition to running a print shop, the Franklins also ran their own store at this time, with Deborah selling everything from soap to fabric. Ben also ran a book store. They were quite enterprising.

The Pennsylvania Gazette

In 1729, Benjamin Franklin bought a newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette . Franklin not only printed the paper, but often contributed pieces to the paper under aliases. His newspaper soon became the most successful in the colonies. This newspaper, among other firsts, would print the first political cartoon, authored by Ben himself.

During the 1720s and 1730s, the side of Franklin devoted to public good started to show itself. He organized the Junto, a young working-man's group dedicated to self- and-civic improvement. He joined the Masons. He was a very busy man socially.

Poor Richard's Almanack

But Franklin thrived on work. In 1733 he started publishing Poor Richard's Almanack. Almanacs of the era were printed annually, and contained things like weather reports, recipes, predictions and homilies. Franklin published his almanac under the guise of a man named Richard Saunders, a poor man who needed money to take care of his carping wife. What distinguished Franklin's almanac were his witty aphorisms and lively writing. Many of the famous phrases associated with Franklin, such as, "A penny saved is a penny earned" come from Poor Richard .

Fire Prevention

Franklin continued his civic contributions during the 1730s and 1740s. He helped launch projects to pave, clean and light Philadelphia's streets. He started agitating for environmental clean up. Among the chief accomplishments of Franklin in this era was helping to launch the Library Company in 1731. During this time books were scarce and expensive. Franklin recognized that by pooling together resources, members could afford to buy books from England. Thus was born the nation's first subscription library. In 1743, he helped to launch the American Philosophical Society, the first learned society in America. Recognizing that the city needed better help in treating the sick, Franklin brought together a group who formed the Pennsylvania Hospital in 1751. The Library Company, Philosophical Society, and Pennsylvania Hospital are all in existence today.

Fires were very dangerous threat to Philadelphians, so Franklin set about trying to remedy the situation. In 1736, he organized Philadelphia's Union Fire Company, the first in the city. His famous saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," was actually fire-fighting advice.

Those who suffered fire damage to their homes often suffered irreversible economic loss. So, in 1752, Franklin helped to found the Philadelphia Contribution for Insurance Against Loss by Fire. Those with insurance policies were not wiped out financially. The Contributionship is still in business today.

Electricity

Franklin's printing business was thriving in this 1730s and 1740s. He also started setting up franchise printing partnerships in other cities. By 1749 he retired from business and started concentrating on science, experiments, and inventions. This was nothing new to Franklin. In 1743, he had already invented a heat-efficient stove — called the Franklin stove — to help warm houses efficiently. As the stove was invented to help improve society, he refused to take out a patent.

Among Franklin's other inventions are swim fins, the glass armonica (a musical instrument) and bifocals.

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.

The Political Scene

Politics became more of an active interest for Franklin in the 1750s. In 1757, he went to England to represent 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.

Early in his time abroad, Franklin considered himself a loyal Englishman. England had many of the amenities that America lacked. The country also had fine thinkers, theater, witty conversation — things in short supply in America. He kept asking Deborah to come visit him in England. He had thoughts of staying there permanently, but she was afraid of traveling by ship.

In 1765, Franklin was caught by surprise by America's overwhelming opposition to the Stamp Act . His testimony before Parliament helped persuade the members to repeal the law. He started wondering if America should break free of England. Franklin, though he had many friends in England, was growing sick of the corruption he saw all around him in politics and royal circles. Franklin, who had proposed a plan for united colonies in 1754, now would earnestly start working toward that goal.

Franklin's big break with England occurred in the "Hutchinson Affair." Thomas Hutchinson was an English-appointed governor of Massachusetts. Although he pretended to take the side of the people of Massachusetts in their complaints against England, he was actually still working for the King. Franklin got a hold of some letters in which Hutchinson called for "an abridgment of what are called English Liberties" in America. He sent the letters to America where much of the population was outraged. After leaking the letters Franklin was called to Whitehall, the English Foreign Ministry, where he was condemned in public.

A New Nation

Franklin came home.

He started working actively for Independence. He naturally thought his son William, now the Royal governor of New Jersey, would agree with his views. William did not. William remained a Loyal Englishman. This caused a rift between father and son which was never healed.

Franklin was elected to the Second Continental Congress and worked on a committee of five that helped to draft the Declaration of Independence . Though much of the writing is Thomas Jefferson's, much of the contribution is Franklin's. In 1776 Franklin signed the Declaration, and afterward sailed to France as an ambassador to the Court of Louis XVI.

The French loved Franklin. He was the man who had tamed lightning, the humble American who dressed like a backwoodsman but was a match for any wit in the world. He spoke French, though stutteringly. He was a favorite of the ladies. Several years earlier his wife Deborah had died, and Benjamin was now a notorious flirt.

In part via Franklin's popularity, the government of France signed a Treaty of Alliance with the Americans in 1778. Franklin also helped secure loans and persuade the French they were doing the right thing. Franklin was on hand to sign the Treaty of Paris in 1783, after the Americans had won the Revolution.

Now a man in his late seventies, Franklin returned to America. 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. 20,000 people attended the funeral of the man who was called, "the harmonious human multitude."

His electric personality, however, still lights the world.

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Copyright ©2024 Biography Host

• Full Name Benjamin Franklin
• Birth Date January 17, 1706
• Birth Date Jan 17, 1706
• Age 318 Years, 10 Months
• Death Date 1790-04-17
• Age At Death 84
• Place Of Death Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Nationality American
• Birthplace Boston, Massachusetts Bay
• Occupation Polymath: a leading writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and political philosopher
• Parents Josiah Franklin and Abiah Folger Franklin
• Mother Abiah Folger Franklin
• Father Josiah Franklin
• Wife Deborah Read
• Children William, Francis and Sarah

Benjamin Franklin | Biography

Benjamin Franklin was a prominent Founding Father, inventor, and diplomat who played a crucial role in shaping the United States.

• By Stone Palmer
• Update : December 10, 2024

Who is Benjamin Franklin?

Benjamin Franklin, born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts, was a multifaceted Founding Father of the United States and an influential polymath. He played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s early governance as a co-author of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Beyond politics, Franklin was a renowned inventor and scientist, credited with innovations such as the lightning rod and bifocal glasses. His scientific inquiries into electricity and other fields laid foundational knowledge that continues to impact modern science. Franklin's intellect and creativity also found expression in his writing, particularly through "Poor Richard’s Almanack", where he infused wit and wisdom into practical advice.

As a public figure, Franklin was not just a politician but a pragmatic thinker who organized the first American lending library and was an advocate for education. His establishment of the Library Company of Philadelphia in 1731 marked a significant advancement in American literary culture. Franklin’s contributions to civic life included launching initiatives for volunteer fire companies and promoting public safety and education. Even his later opposition to slavery demonstrated his evolving views on morality and justice. As a diplomat in France, Franklin strengthened U.S. foreign relations, culminating in the Treaty of Paris, which recognized American independence. His legacy as an innovator, leader, and thinker earns him enduring recognition as one of the most influential figures in American history.

Early Life and Education

Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts, into a large family. He was the youngest son of Josiah Franklin, a soap and candle maker, and his second wife, Abiah Folger. Frankly, the rigorous circumstances of his early life steered him away from formal education. Although he developed an early love for reading and achieved success at Boston Latin School, Franklin was forced to leave school at the tender age of 10 to work in his father’s shop. This experience instilled in him a strong work ethic, though it was not enough to satisfy his curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

At age 12, Franklin apprenticed with his older brother James in a printing shop. Despite a difficult relationship with his brother, who often mistreated him, Franklin's time there proved pivotal. He learned the intricacies of publishing and developed a passion for writing. Frustrated by his brother's refusal to print his work, Franklin began writing under the pseudonym Mrs. Silence Dogood. The clever, humorous letters captivated the newspaper's audience, showcasing Franklin's burgeoning talent and wit. This formative period laid the groundwork for his future accomplishments as a writer, inventor, and statesman.

Career Start: Printing and Writing

Benjamin Franklin's career in printing and writing began at a young age, influenced by his father's struggling business. At just 12 years old, he was apprenticed to his brother James, who ran a printing shop. Though the apprenticeship was marked by mistreatment from his brother, it provided Franklin with a solid foundation in the world of newspapers and printing. His love for writing blossomed during this time, leading him to write under the pseudonym Mrs. Silence Dogood, charming readers with witty letters published in The New England Courant—a publication managed by his brother.

In 1726, following the tumultuous relationship with his brother, Franklin moved to Philadelphia, where he found new opportunities. He worked for another printer and soon recognized the potential of starting his own print shop. By 1730, he had established himself as the official printer for Pennsylvania and published the widely read Pennsylvania Gazette. His talent for merging humor with serious content shone through in his writing and publication of Poor Richard's Almanack, which became a staple for American readers and solidified his reputation as a premier thinker and writer of his time.

Success and Achievements in Science and Politics

Benjamin Franklin was a quintessential polymath whose achievements spanned the fields of science and politics, leaving an indelible mark on American history. In the realm of science, Franklin's keen intellect led to groundbreaking discoveries, notably in electricity. His famous kite-and-key experiment in 1752 demonstrated that lightning was a form of electricity, which ultimately resulted in the invention of the lightning rod, changing the safety precautions of buildings forever. Furthermore, he introduced significant scientific terminology, such as “battery” and “conductor,” which remain in use today. Franklin’s curiosity also drove him to invent practical items like the bifocal glasses and the Franklin stove, showcasing his ability to blend scientific inquiry with practical applications.

In addition to his scientific contributions, Franklin was a pivotal figure in American politics. He was crucial in the drafting of foundational documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. His diplomatic skills were vital in securing French support during the Revolutionary War, culminating in the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which officially ended the conflict. As a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly and the first postmaster general of the colonies, Franklin’s political career was marked by his advocacy for unity among the colonies and the promotion of civic responsibility. His multifaceted legacy as a scientist and statesman exemplifies the spirit of innovation and collaboration that characterized the founding of the United States.

Life in Paris and Diplomacy

Benjamin Franklin spent a significant part of his later years in Paris, where he served as an ambassador for the newly formed United States. Appointed in 1776, Franklin's mission in France was pivotal; he sought military and financial support for the American Revolution. His charm, wit, and keen intellect made him an esteemed figure in French society, allowing him to forge vital alliances. Though he yearned for romantic companionship, with proposals to Madame Helvetius and others left unreciprocated, Franklin's diplomatic role flourished during this time, leading to substantial French assistance for the American cause during the Revolutionary War.

Franklin's time in Paris was marked by his ability to navigate the elite circles of French aristocracy and intellectual life. He became a central figure in salons, engaging with luminaries of the time and promoting American interests. His reputation as a scientist and inventor helped him gain respect beyond his role as a diplomat, leading to fruitful negotiations. Ultimately, his diplomatic efforts culminated in the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which officially ended the Revolutionary War, marking a significant triumph in both Franklin’s life and in the burgeoning United States.

Personal Life: Married Life and Children

Benjamin Franklin's personal life was marked by his long-standing relationship with Deborah Read, whom he considered his common-law wife. They married in 1730 after rekindling their romance when Franklin returned to Philadelphia. The couple faced personal tragedies, including the loss of their first son, Francis, who died from smallpox at the tender age of four. They also raised William, Franklin's son from a prior relationship, alongside their daughter Sarah, born in 1743. Deborah remained a steadfast partner despite Franklin's frequent absences during his trips to London, and she ultimately passed away in 1774, leaving an indelible mark on his life.

Franklin's relationship with his eldest son, William, became strained due to their conflicting political views during the Revolutionary War. William, a loyalist and royal governor of New Jersey, found himself at odds with his father's growing patriot sentiments. Despite Franklin's influence in appointing William to his position, their connection weakened considerably when William was imprisoned by revolutionary forces. Franklin's will reflected his complicated feelings, as he allocated most of his estate to Sarah, showing a preference for his daughter's loyalty over William's political choices. This familial discord serves as a poignant reflection of Franklin's broader conflicts with the changing tides of American society.

Net Worth and Earning: Wealth and Legacy

Benjamin Franklin was not only a pivotal figure in American history but also a successful businessman and entrepreneur. Throughout his lifetime, Franklin amassed considerable wealth primarily through his printing and publishing ventures. He founded several newspapers, including The Pennsylvania Gazette, which became the most widely-read paper in the colonies under his ownership. Additionally, his ventures in education and philanthropy, such as the establishment of America’s first lending library and the University of Pennsylvania, contributed to his legacy as a respected intellectual and community leader. By the time of his death in 1790, Franklin was one of the wealthiest men in Pennsylvania, with an estate valued at around $100,000, equivalent to millions in today’s dollars.

Franklin’s influence extended far beyond his financial success. He was a founding father of the United States, playing a central role in pivotal events like the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. His scientific discoveries, particularly in electricity, alongside inventions like the lightning rod and bifocal glasses, showcased his polymath abilities and entrepreneurial spirit. Franklin’s commitment to public service, civic duty, and the advancement of knowledge and community welfare has left an enduring legacy, shaping the fabric of American society and democratic governance. His life demonstrated that wealth can be an avenue for greater contributions to society, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire generations.

Who was Benjamin Franklin?

Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and a polymath who excelled as an inventor, scientist, printer, politician, freemason, and diplomat. He played pivotal roles in drafting the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, as well as negotiating the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which officially ended the Revolutionary War.

What were some of Franklin's scientific contributions?

Franklin made significant contributions to the study of electricity, conducting the famous kite-and-key experiment to demonstrate that lightning is electricity. He coined several terms still in use today, such as "battery", "charge", and "conductor." His other inventions include the lightning rod, bifocal glasses, and the Franklin stove, which improved heating efficiency.

What is Poor Richard's Almanack?

Published by Franklin for 25 years starting in 1732, Poor Richard's Almanack was a yearly publication that included weather forecasts, proverbs, and entertaining essays. It was well-known for its witty sayings, such as "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise," making it a pivotal piece of American literature and humor.

What roles did Franklin play in the American government?

Franklin held several important positions in government, including serving as a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly, deputy postmaster general of North America, and as a delegate to the Continental Congress. He was instrumental in advocating for unity among the colonies and played a key role in shaping early American legislation and foreign policy.

How did Franklin's views on slavery change over time?

Initially, Franklin owned enslaved people, but his views evolved as he recognized the inherent immorality of slavery. By the 1760s, he freed his enslaved individuals and later became a leading advocate for abolition, serving as president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and petitioning Congress for an end to the institution.

What legacy did Benjamin Franklin leave behind?

Franklin is remembered as a true American icon, with contributions spanning science, literature, politics, and social reform. His innovative spirit, commitment to education, founding of libraries, and establishment of the postal system have left an enduring mark on American society and continue to be celebrated today. He is often referred to as the "First American" for his diverse achievements and influence.

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