How Did Benjamin Franklin Became An American

Benjamin Franklin, as one the Founding Fathers of United states, well-known as politician, scientist,publisher, inventor, and diplomat, defined the American characteristics. He demonstrated the innovative sprit by inventing and experimenting. He discovered electricity and invented lighting rod. He demonstrated the most typical American sprit: freedom, independence and equality. Franklin, as a newspaperman, showed the desire of wanting freedom of speech and media.Rebelling against Britain by supporting revolutions and freeing his slaves showed his desire of freedom.Franklin put his ideas into the Declaration of Independence which made him become a founding father. His thirteen virtues: temperance, silence, order, frugality, industry, sincerity,
justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility deeply shaped American values . Franklin pioneered the spirit of self-help. As a tremendous scientist, he illustrated the spirit of innovation.
He invented many things such as a lighting rod and discovered electricity(Franklin 215). In 1750, he did the experiment of flying a kite in the storm to prove lighting is electricity. In 1752, he used iron rod instead of a kite and extracted electrical sparks from a cloud. On June, he conducted the famous kite experiment in Philadelphia. this experiment was dangerous and fatal, in his writing, he indicated that he was aware of the dangers, he insisted to test the hypothesis out( ). It showed the Franklin’s exploring spirit. Consequently, Franklin was the first man to label electricity as positive and negative and the first discovered conservation of charge principle. (Franklin 214 ) This experiment inspired the invention of lighting rod. Franklin’s inventions were also include in social innovations such as but not limited to population studies, Atlantic Ocean currents study, wave theory of light, meteorology, concept of cooling, oceanography findings. Franklin kept a curious attitude toward science and practice by hands. Franklin,being innovative, became one of the American
characteristic. Franklin, as a newspaperman, showed the desire of wanting freedom of speech and media. He took good use of free media to spread his positive influential opinions and improving himself. He set up a printing house with Hugh Meredith. In the next year, he published in the newspaper “ The Pennsylvania Gazette”(Franklin 55). The Gazette offered Franklin a forum for agitation about a variety of local reforms through essays and observations. His intellectual comments earned a great deal of social respect. This made “ The Pennsylvania Gazette” the most popular newspaper of the time. Furthermore, Franklin made use of this media for instructing colonial Americans in moral virtue. He tried to impact Americans in morality by inventing the first newspaper chain. It was not simply a business trade but also served a duty of public-service. He built a book shop in his printing office. He took advantages to read new books before selling them. Moreover, Franklin strongly supported the right to freedom of speech. “ In those wretched countries where a man cannot call his tongue his own, he can scarce call anything his own. Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subbing the freeness of speech(Franklin 65).” Furthermore, he created a new nation that could draw strength from religion pluralism(Franklin 109).He was one of the greatest advocates of religious freedom for evangelical revivalists, “ claiming liberty of conscience to be an ‘ inalienable right of every rational creature.” He agreed with Whitefield’s idea, “ a large ,new hall, that…could provide a pulpit to anyone of any belief.” Franklin held the belief in deism, that people can learn truths through nature and reason. He rejected the Christian dogma Thus, Franklin defined the typical American traits, freedom of speech, media and religion. Franklin showed his will of equality by repealing British and supporting evolution and freed slaves. To repeal the unpopular Stamp Act, he became an agent to have parliament in London and then was honored as national hero(Franklin 105). In the Pontiac’s Rebellion, Franklin helped to organize militia to defend. He respond the British surveillance through counter- surveillance and manipulation. Toward the end of his life, he became of the most prominent abolitionists by freeing his seven own slaves. Though he tended to take both sides on the slavery issue, he attacked the slavery system and international slave trade. Franklin put his idea into the Declaration of Independence, which shown the spirit of independence. In 1776, he was appointed a member of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence and made several “ small but important” changes( Issacason 311).Furthermore, to achieve independence, he opposed Stamp Act in 1765( Franklin 106). Addition, he defend that American should pay the share of costs of the French and Indian War. The thirteen virtues was about how Franklin sought to cultivate himself , however, some values can be shown clearly today that shaped American’s character.
His thirteen virtues were temperance, silence, order, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility(Franklin 92). Franklin developed those ideas at the age of 20 and kept practicing in the rest of his life. In his opinion, those virtues will bring great success and happiness. In his autobiography, Franklin said that “ I hope, therefore, that some of my descendants may follow the example and reap the benefit.” I think today’s American did pass on those values. As a daily habit,American people took shower and changed their clothes everyday. It is demonstrated the tenth virtue, cleanliness. Additionally, American people did show their humbleness by following Jesus. Since today there were eighty percent of people believed in Christianity, they can behaved their humility, by imitating Jesus. Also, American are very disciplinary which best demonstrate the idea of order. They line up and keep quite in the public area. The thirteen virtues were well kept and passed on to today that shaped how American people
behave. Franklin pioneered the spirit of self-help and self-taught. He went to school from age eight to ten. With less than three years formal schooling, he made himself an influential author and editor. He started his first printing business—-. Through the process of learning by themselves, Franklin conceived the ideas of establishing a library that would pool the funds of the members to read and learn. In 1751, Franklin created the first hospital in Pennsylvania. He facilitated Philadelphia’s fire department and an university. In conclusion, he