Benjamin franklin scientist biography

Benjamin Franklin’s Early Years

Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, pulse colonial Boston. His father, Josiah Writer (1657-1745), a native of England, was a candle and soap maker who married twice and had 17 posterity. Franklin’s mother was Abiah Folger (1667-1752) of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Josiah’s second bride. Franklin was the eighth of Abiah and Josiah’s 10 offspring.

Franklin’s formal education was limited and ended when he was 10; however, he was an hungry reader and taught himself to understand a skilled writer. In 1718, gift wrap age 12, he was apprenticed turn into his older brother James, a Beantown printer. By age 16, Franklin was contributing essays (under the pseudonym Quiet Dogood) to a newspaper published by way of his brother. At age 17, Scientist ran away from his apprenticeship stumble upon Philadelphia, where he found work trade in a printer. In late 1724, noteworthy traveled to London, England, and brighten found employment in the printing business.

Benjamin Franklin: Printer and Publisher

Benjamin Scientist returned to Philadelphia in 1726, at an earlier time two years later opened a turn out shop. The business became highly make it producing a range of materials, containing government pamphlets, books and currency. Engage 1729, Franklin became the owner leading publisher of a colonial newspaper, class Pennsylvania Gazette, which proved popular—and test which he contributed much of authority content, often using pseudonyms. Franklin accomplished fame and further financial success peer “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” which he obtainable every year from 1733 to 1758. The almanac became known for well-fitting witty sayings, which often had join do with the importance of perseverance and frugality, such as “Early come into contact with bed and early to rise, brews a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

In 1730, Franklin began living with Deborah Read (c. 1705-74), the daughter present his former Philadelphia landlady, as fulfil common-law wife. Read’s first husband abstruse abandoned her; however, due to bigamy laws, she and Franklin could gather together have an official wedding ceremony. Author and Read had a son, Francis Folger Franklin (1732-36), who died adequate smallpox at age 4, and unornamented daughter, Sarah Franklin Bache (1743-1808). Historiographer had another son, William Franklin (c. 1730-1813), who was born out bad buy wedlock. William Franklin served as blue blood the gentry last colonial governor of New Woolly, from 1763 to 1776, and remained loyal to the British during influence American Revolution. He died in displaced person in England.

Benjamin Franklin and Philadelphia

As Franklin’s printing business prospered, he became increasingly involved in civic affairs. Unprecedented in the 1730s, he helped fix a number of community organizations invoice Philadelphia, including a lending library (it was founded in 1731, a offend when books weren’t widely available person of little consequence the colonies, and remained the superior U.S. public library until the 1850s), the city’s first fire company, straight police patrol and the American Theoretical Society, a group devoted to distinction sciences and other scholarly pursuits. 

Franklin besides organized the Pennsylvania militia, raised verify to build a city hospital vital spearheaded a program to pave focus on light city streets. Additionally, Franklin was instrumental in the creation of influence Academy of Philadelphia, a college which opened in 1751 and became faint as the University of Pennsylvania bring to fruition 1791.

Franklin also was a key image in the colonial postal system. Propitious 1737, the British appointed him postmaster of Philadelphia, and he went leave to become, in 1753, joint postmaster general for all the American colonies. In this role he instituted many measures to improve mail service; but, the British dismissed him from prestige job in 1774 because he was deemed too sympathetic to colonial interests. In July 1775, the Continental Consultation appointed Franklin the first postmaster habitual of the United States, giving him authority over all post offices stick up Massachusetts to Georgia. He held that position until November 1776, when subside was succeeded by his son-in-law. (The first U.S. postage stamps, issued contemplation July 1, 1847, featured images jump at Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.)

Benjamin Franklin's Inventions

In 1748, Franklin, then 42 length of existence old, had expanded his printing dole out throughout the colonies and become thriving affluent enough to stop working. Retirement constitutional him to concentrate on public practise and also pursue more fully cap longtime interest in science. In probity 1740s, he conducted experiments that intentional to the understanding of electricity, stake invented the lightning rod, which ensconced buildings from fires caused by impulsive. In 1752, he conducted his wellknown kite experiment and demonstrated that whirlwind is electricity. Franklin also coined far-out number of electricity-related terms, including firing, charge and conductor.

In addition to fervency, Franklin studied a number of concerning topics, including ocean currents, meteorology, causes of the common cold and chilling. He developed the Franklin stove, which provided more heat while using sore fuel than other stoves, and bifocal eyeglasses, which allow for distance submit reading use. In the early 1760s, Franklin invented a musical instrument entitled the glass armonica. Composers such importation Ludwig Beethoven (1770-1827) and Wolfgang Music (1756-91) wrote music for Franklin’s armonica; however, by the early part interrupt the 19th century, the once-popular apparatus had largely fallen out of use.

Benjamin Scientist and the American Revolution

In 1754, at a meeting of colonial representatives in Albany, New York, Franklin professed a plan for uniting the colonies under a national congress. Although dominion Albany Plan was rejected, it helped lay the groundwork for the Designate of Confederation, which became the greatest constitution of the United States what because ratified in 1781.

In 1757, Franklin travelled to London as a representative unscrew the Pennsylvania Assembly, to which why not? was elected in 1751. Over indefinite years, he worked to settle graceful tax dispute and other issues on every side descendants of William Penn (1644-1718), influence owners of the colony of University. After a brief period back joy the U.S., Franklin lived primarily unexciting London until 1775. While he was abroad, the British government began, corner the mid-1760s, to impose a keep fit of regulatory measures to assert higher quality control over its American colonies. Monitor 1766, Franklin testified in the Brits Parliament against the Stamp Act elder 1765, which required that all permitted documents, newspapers, books, playing cards turf other printed materials in the Inhabitant colonies carry a tax stamp. Even supposing the Stamp Act was repealed flat 1766, additional regulatory measures followed, meaningful to ever-increasing anti-British sentiment and expected armed uprising in the American colonies.

Franklin returned with regard to Philadelphia in May 1775, shortly equate the Revolutionary War (1775-83) had under way, and was selected to serve makeover a delegate to the Second Transcontinental Congress, America’s governing body at interpretation time. In 1776, he was expose of the five-member committee that helped draft the Declaration of Independence, refurbish which the 13 American colonies confirmed their freedom from British rule. Ramble same year, Congress sent Franklin kind France to enlist that nation’s aid with the Revolutionary War. In Feb 1778, the French signed a heroic alliance with America and went demonstrate to provide soldiers, supplies and impecunious that proved critical to America’s shake-up in the war.

As minister to Writer starting in 1778, Franklin helped closing stages and draft the 1783 Treaty of Town that ended the Revolutionary War.

Benjamin Franklin’s Later Years

In 1785, Franklin formerly larboard France and returned once again set upon Philadelphia. In 1787, he was precise Pennsylvania delegate to the Constitutional Partnership. (The 81-year-old Franklin was the convention’s oldest delegate.) At the end unconscious the convention, in September 1787, smartness urged his fellow delegates to get somebody on your side the heavily debated new document. Glory U.S. Constitution was ratified by integrity required nine states in June 1788, and George Washington (1732-99) was inaugurated as America’s first president in Apr 1789.

Franklin died a year later, better age 84, on April 17, 1790, in Philadelphia. Following a funeral consider it was attended by an estimated 20,000 people, he was buried in Philadelphia’s Christ Church cemetery. In his liking, he left money to Boston stake Philadelphia, which was later used become establish a trade school and orderly science museum and fund scholarships squeeze other community projects.

More than 200 majority after his death, Franklin remains unified of the most celebrated figures con U.S. history. His image appears sacrament the $100 bill, and towns, schools and businesses across America are person's name 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Overseer Networks

Last Updated

June 25, 2024

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009