The Life and Influence of Benjamin Franklin and His Impact on America Today. By David Jacobson As America’s population reached 300 million people last year, experts predicted the three-hundredth million baby was probably born to a mother who was an immigrant or a son or daughter of an immigrant. While Americans reflect on all the people who have helped shape this country into what it is today and the billions of people who have lived here at one time or another, it is impossible
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in American history could be more celebrated than Benjamin Franklin for his work as a writer, statesman and patriot? Benjamin Franklin’s first claim to fame arose with his articulate abilities to pen and print the written word. Although he did not receive much education, Franklin loved to read and learn on his own. Consequently, this love for the written word prompted Franklin to open a print shop in Philadelphia. After opening his shop, Franklin published a newspaper called, “The Pennsylvania Gazette
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Susanna Dey 19 November 2011 Benjamin Franklin Say the name Benjamin Franklin and you may picture a chubby man with spectacles holding a kite during a lightening storm. Perhaps you picture him a older man with spectacles propped up on his nose standing in a great room full of distinguished gentlemen signing the Declaration of Independence. Both of these facts about Benjamin Franklin's life would be true. However, there was so much more to Mr. Franklin. He was a diplomat, a statesman
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Benjamin Franklin “All who think cannot but see there is a sanction like that of religion which binds us in partnership in the serious work of the world.”- Benjamin Franklin (Qtd. in Brainy Quotes) Benjamin Franklin is known as one of the “founding fathers” of America. He was a businessman, writer, and a member of various political groups. His writings are an important part in American literature. Franklin was brought into this world on January 17, 1706; his parents, Josiah and Abiah
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Benjamin Franklin: "The Autobiography of B. Franklin" 10th of 17 children successful printer, inventor, statesman, and writer inventions lightening rod bifocal eyeglasses Franklin stove Daylight savings time recounts his first trip to Philly tells his boat tup from Burlington to Philadelphia tells about his first meal in Philly restful stay at a Quaker meeting House Patrick Henry born: 1736 died: 1799 "Give me liberty or give me death." was a lawyer who developed his gift for public
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Benjamin Franklin was not the Leonardo Da Vinci of the Enlightenment movement. Benjamin Franklin may have brought about Enlightenment ideas through the U.S. constitution however he doesn’t symbolize the Leonardo Da Vinci of the Enlightenment because Thomas Hobbes clearly represents that in a more influential way. Thomas Hobbes was a philosopher who began the Enlightenment because of his Leviathan, which states his theories and highlights the ideas of the Enlightenment. He not only started the Enlightenment
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the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Franklin is depicted as a well rounded intelligent man with high moral standards. Frequently, he criticizes others for their lack of righteousness and their writing false information in newspapers that proved damaging to the reputation of others. In his autobiography Franklin explains, ¨In the conduct of my newspaper, I carefully excluded all libeling and personal abuse, which is of late years become so disgraceful to our country. (Franklin, 108)¨ However the
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The Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin, we get a good representation of the American Dream in literary form. Franklin was the first person to write an autobiography in a non-religious way and it’s a good representation to readers today, of what life was like for people during the time of the 18th century in America. Although intellectualism was flourishing during this time, it wasn’t common for people to write about their personal and daily lives, and achievements. Franklin first went to school at
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Although Benjamin Franklin wasn’t morally perfect, first, he is the most influential person the world has ever seen because he helped launch projects to pave, clean and light Philadelphia's streets; second, his observations, including his kite experiment, which verified the “nature of electricity and lightning brought Franklin international” fame; and finally; in 1743, he had already invented a heat-efficient stove called the Franklin stove, which helped warm houses efficiently and finally, his
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Perhaps no other person has had a greater impact in American history than the one, and only, Benjamin Franklin. His entire career spent as a politician, writer, scientist, inventor, and diplomat was carried to an incredibly high standard and heavily impacted the United States. The biography "Benjamin Franklin: "Inventing America" by Edwin S. Gaustaddiscovers different aspects of this interesting person, and offers an extensive and worthily illustrated outline of his life and personality. Franklin’s
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Shakespeare 2.0 Benjamin Franklin is a wannabe actor always hungry for another show fix. In his autobiography, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, he is putting on a magniloquent show for his audience. Franklin assumes certain characteristics (which he does allude to doing within the first few pages) in order to become the perfect man in the eyes of the reader. When discussing his list of virtues on page sixty-seven, Franklin quotes Addison’s Cato, Cicero, Proverbs of Solomon and Thomoson’s
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Ego Book Review In the biography, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson, the reader learns much about Benjamin Franklin’s life and accomplishments. Benjamin Franklin was a printer, an inventor, and a Patriot who left a huge impact in history. I chose to read this book because I was curious about Franklin’s history and past. Furthermore, I wanted to learn about his flaws and mistakes as he is known to be a perfect historical figure. Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 in Boston
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is believed to be a creation of one of the founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin. Franklin lived a life in where work ethic and character lead to accomplishments and success which was a modern thought process in comparison to the 18th century’s general ideas. Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography and Information to Those Who Would Remove to America, clearly exemplifies the average life of those who lived in the 18th century including Franklin and his prosperous life. The average life for the inhabitants
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-Benjamin Franklin’s shocking life will keep you on your toes. Benjamin Franklin was a great leader, also well known as a writer, politician, and scientist. He was the first person to capture electricity. Because of all his great skills, he was able to become one of the most famous people of all time. Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17,1706 in Boston, Massachusetts . He was the tenth son of seventeen children of a man who made soap and candles. In his youth, he wrote and sold ballads.Writing
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Shirley House Franklin, Benjamin., The Autobiography and Other Writings., Penguin Books., New York, NY, 1986., 268 pgs. The book The Autobiography and Other Writings by Author Dr. Benjamin Franklin turned out to be a great book. I would have never picked up a book like this in my life. I’m happy I was introduced to the work. It was truly an amazing read. In the beginning, Franklin explained that he was the youngest son and the 15th child of 17 children. His father, Josiah Franklin, was a soap and
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My name is Benjamin Franklin. I was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1706. I’ve done a lot of important things throughout my life. For example, I’ve organized the United States’ first lending library and fire department. My birthday is on January 17, 1706. My dad was a soap and candle maker and he had seventeen children. That means I had to deal with 16 other people in the same household as me. In 1723, I ran away to Philadelphia and got a job as a printer. I found out that I actually liked the
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Benjamin was born January 17th, 1706 in Boston. He was the tenth son of a soap and candle maker. He mainly taught himself after attending Boston Latin School from 1714-1715. He worked as a printer for his half-brother after being an apprentice to his dad from when he was ten to the age of twelve. Franklin then moved to Philadelphia where he continued his career as a printer. Franklin was a very successful printer, as he published The Pennsylvania Gazette, as well as Poor Richard’s Almanac. Which
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Benjamin Franklin Although he had over 10 inventions by himself, Benjamin Franklin did not have a single patent. He was a man of true simplicity whose humble nature carried him along way. “He helped found a new nation and defined the American character. Writer, inventor, diplomat, businessman, musician, scientist, humorist, civic leader, international celebrity . . . genius.” (Pbs1). Most people would associate Benjamin’s inventions with electricity, but he also dabbled around in other fields
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Marc Medina POS 2041 Professor Shirley Term Project: Biographical Profile December 8th. 2014 Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin was born in January 17, 1706 in Boston. He was the 15th sibling to be born out of 17. His father, Josiah Franklin, was a candle maker. Josiah Franklin had seven children with is first wife, Anne Child, and 10 children with his second wife Abiah Folger. At 10 years old Benjamin was withdrawn from Boston Latin School he was attending. He wasn’t interested in working with
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Benjamin Franklin was one of America’s founding father and has always been thought of as the brilliant inventor. Countless people throughout history has held him in an incredibly high pedestal for his success and brilliance. However Benjamin Franklin was human and did have failures. In the autobiography he talks about his goal to become morally perfect. This was an empty goal for him to attempt because no one is perfect in any sense of the word. Even if he made a valiant attempt to complete this
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With each of these, came a deeper realization of their discrepancy, as well as an awareness to people's opinions around them. Benjamin blamed people like his son for siding with corrupt English figureheads, and Franklin blamed people like his father for creating a trend of chaos and discrepancy among the colonies and the mother
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Historical Context The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin spanned across the 1700s and draws references to important events during the formation of the United States of America. The American Revolution is arguably the most important event during Benjamin Franklin’s life and Franklin himself was a key component of the revolution. Franklin helped form the basic principles of the United States of America while being one of the five members chosen to draft a declaration of independence for the American
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Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, we are reading the path that one man took to go from a middle class child to a well respected adult. Benjamin Franklin created what we know today as the American dream. Today we understand the American dream to be that one can go from rags to riches with a little hard work. The autobiography is based around the age of reason and a time man was thought to be able to be perfected by means of science and invention. The Autobiography of Benjamin
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OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin [Name of the writer] [Name of the institution] The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Introduction The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is the customary title for the unfinished record of his life in writing by Benjamin Franklin from 1771 to 1790, although, Franklin himself seems, called the work his Memoirs. Although there was a tortuous annals of the publication after the death of Franklin, this
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The comparison of George Whitefield compassed by Benjamin Franklin and Nathan Cole appear to be very contrasting. Nathan Cole, a Connecticut farmer describes his own reaction towards Whitefield’s preaching while Benjamin Franklin, a passionate individual who seeked some of the same things, still seemed to be an opponent to what George Whitefield preached. Nathan Cole viewed Whitefield's preaching to be “ heart wounding” (133). Benjamin Franklin was an enlightenment thinker during the time of the
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Both founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin and Patrick Henry made a speech voicing their thoughts. These men are best known as the “Orators of the American Revolution” because of their great influence in the 1700s. The two speeches are comparable, but also different. They have similar audiences and appeals. Their circumstances and messages are what makes the speeches different from each other. Franklin and Henry’s audience are much alike. Both audiences were colonists from all over. Both
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Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of the United States. He was known as a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his theories and discoveries regarding electricity; he was also the sixth president of the United States of America. Benjamin was an author, printer, political theorist, politician, freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. His greatest inventions were the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin
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Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, Gordon S. Wood portrays the life of Benjamin Franklin. Through his various experiences, Wood examines Franklin and gives a better explanation of who he was. Wood's method of re-telling Franklin's story is a good way to look at him in five different settings, becoming a gentleman, followed by becoming an imperialist, patriot, diplomat, and American. People today cannot help but to be astonished by Franklin's remarkable modernity. Franklin saw the new world as
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Benjamin Franklin way to wealth was more than a short essay, it was a handbook to becoming financial stable and smarter as well as proving that hard work does pay off. In “the way to wealth” Benjamin Franklin goes in great detail about the topic of wealth on how to achieve it and maintain it. During this time it was very common for the upper class to show off to their friends the amount of money they had by having the most luxurious things from the homes they lived in to the clothes they wore, it
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Robert Fulghum’s list to Benjamin Franklin’s list Robert Fulghum’s list of things learned in kindergarten and Benjamin Franklin’s list of virtues appear to have many similarities. For example, in All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Fulgham states in his list, “Wash your hands before you eat. Flush”(96). While in Franklin’s list of virtues, he states, “Cleanliness,” as an important aspect, very similar to Fulgham’s point. Another example exists when, Franklin describes sincerity and
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