SPOTLIGHTS: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston. He attended school only briefly, and then helped his father, who was a candle and soap maker. He was apprenticed to his brother, a printer, and began writing anonymously for his brother’s newspaper. Franklin and his brother quarreled, and in 1723 Franklin ran away to Philadelphia. He bought the ‘Pennsylvania Gazette’, which he edited and which became one of the American colonies’ major newspapers. He also wrote and published ‘Poor Richard’s Almanack’, an astronomy journal.

By 1748, Franklin had made enough money to retire from business and concentrate on science and inventing. His inventions included the Franklin stove and the lightning rod. He demonstrated that lightning and electricity are identical with his famous kite experiment. Franklin also became more active in politics. He was clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly (1736–1751), a member of the Assembly (1750–1764), and deputy postmaster for the Colonies (1753–1774).

Franklin was also involved in many public projects, including founding the American Philosophical Society, a subscription library and, in 1751, an academy which later became the University of Pennsylvania.

he was the colonial representative for Pennsylvania, Georgia, New Jersey and Massachusetts. His attempts to reconcile the British government with the colonies proved fruitless. On his return to America, the war of independence had already broken out and he threw himself into the struggle. In 1776, he helped to draft, and was then a signatory to, the Declaration of Independence.

Later that year, Franklin and two others were appointed to represent America in France. In 1783, as American ambassador to France, Franklin signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the American War of Independence. He continued to be deeply involved in politics, helping to draft the Constitution.

Franklin died in Philadelphia on 17 April 1790.

#BenjaminFranklin #Boston #Philadelphia #PennsylvaniaGazette #PoorRichardsAlmanack #lightningRod #FranklinStove #PennsylvaniaAssembly #AmericanPhilosophicalSociety #Massachusetts #UniversityofPennsylvania #Georgia #NewJersey #France #British #USA