One of Franklin's greatest claims to fame was his work in electricity. He carried out experiments with the Leyden jar, sent a current through water to ignite alcohol, made the first battery, ignited gunpowder, and much, much more (Bellis). He even charged wine glasses so the drinkers would receive shocks! More importantly though, he began to develop the theory of the relationship between lightning and electricity; he brought up the idea of protecting buildings by using iron rods. In the summer of 1752, he performed the famous kite experiment, where he drew down electricity from the sky by charging a Leyden jar from the key at the end of the string. Franklin stated that "electricity is a single electrical 'fluid'" (electrons) "that may be transferred between bodies". He said the total quantity of the "fluid" is always conserved. This is a concept known today as one of the fundamental natural law—the conservation of electrical charge (Timeline 1750-1774).
Inspired by Du Fay (Charles-Francois de Cisternay Du Fay),