Book edited by: Esmond Wright

Presentation by: Rachelle Alcantara

History 140

Born in colonial Boston in 1706.

His father was a tallow-chandler and soap-boiler who had left England twenty-three years before.

After running away from home, Benjamin launched himself as a printer.

Got married

Embarked on a series of civic activities which included: becoming an assembly-man and politician, interesting himself in the nature of electricity, and founding a hospital, a college, a library, a fire company and a fire insurance system.

Philadelphia became his base for a host of enterprises: continental postmaster; colonial agent in London; envoy to France to secure, first, an alliance in the War of Independence, and then a Treaty of Peach guaranteeing it; and, in the end, establishing himself as Founding Father Extraordinary.

At Twyford, he began writing what would soon become the first part of the most famous autobiography in American history.

Franklin knew that the best guide to building character, and to good conduct and decorum, was to study the lives of the great men before him. These men included:

Bacon

Locke

Newton

And Cato was preferred to Caesar.

His autobiography was in four different parts.

His style is remarkably lucid, terse, and deceptively simple.

Said that good writing should be “smooth, clear and short.” and

always stayed true to this.

His skill with words was what advanced Benjamin in his life.

He was a secretary and/or keeper of minutes and/or deviser

of agenda for many clubs and societies.

By the time he even began his Autobiography, he had drafted

legislative papers, and the replies to many of them; had edited his

Gazette for three decades; and had produced his

annual almanac, Poor Richard.

He was an incredible story teller, and drew upon his world for

inspiration.

He was addicted to parables and aphorisms; echoes Bunyan and

Defoe.

The message in all of his writings were simple:

always let your conscience be your guide.

In 1746, Franklin met with a Dr. Spence who introduced him to electrical experiments. Since then, he conducted experiments on his own in his own house constantly.

At first his experiments and recordings were laughed at, but were soon taken into account not only in England, but France and all over Europe.

His experiments included “drawing lightning from the clouds.”(pg. 111) Which engaged the public attention everywhere.

“I will not swell this narrative with…the infinite pleasure I received in the success of… one I made… with a kite at Philadelphia, as it was found in the histories of electricity.”(pg.112)

He was presented with the gold medal of Sir Godfrey Copley for the year 1753 and was chosen as a member of the Society in London.

“7 November 1749. Electrical fluid agrees with lightning in these particulars:

1. Giving light.

2. Colour of the light.

3. Crooked direction.

4. Swift motion.

5. Being conducted by metals.

6. Crack or noise in exploding.

7. Subsisting in water or ice.

8. Rending bodies it passes through

9. Destroying animals.

10. Melting metals.

11. Firing inflammable substances.

12. Sulphureous smell.

The electrical fluid is attracted by points. We do not know whether this property is in lightning. But since they agree in all the particulars wherein we can already compare them, is it not probably they agree likewise in this?” (pg. 118)