How Did Benjamin Franklin Change The World
The French statesman Jacques Turgot once said of him: “he snatched lightning from the sky, and the scepter from tyrants.” Mr. Turgot was referring to Benjamin Franklin. Most people only remember Benjamin Franklin as a founding father, but he was much more than that. Mr. Franklin was many things, including an inventor, a diplomat, a printer, and a writer. Mr. Franklin’s many different accomplishments changed the world for the better.
Benjamin Franklin's early life was the foundation for the rest of his life; all of his later accomplishments were built on what he did over this time period. Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on January 17, 1706. After 2 years of schooling, the young Mr. Franklin was expected to work at his father Josiah’s soap and candle making shop. Benjamin refused and when he was 12 years old, he took an apprenticeship under his older …show more content…
brother James and began learning the art of printing. When his older brother started published a newspaper, Mr. Franklin wrote articles making fun of the quirks of Boston society. Young Ben wrote under the alias of Silence Dogood. After James learned who was really behind the Silence Dogood articles, he was furious that Ben had deceived him. These tensions between the two brothers eventually lead to Benjamin setting off to London alone at the age of 18. This voyage set the young Benjamin Franklin on a course for greatness.
Benjamin Franklin’s midlife was the prime of his life.
Most of his many accomplishments were achieved during this period. After returning from London, Mr. Franklin started his own printing business at age 24, the same year he married Deborah Read. He began printing a newspaper called the Pennsylvania Gazette and it soon became the leading paper in Pennsylvania. Mr. Franklin started publishing “Poor Richard’s Almanac” in 1733. This helpful book made him wealthy enough that he was able to retire at age 42. Mr. Franklin, inspired by the very popular electricity magicians, started conducting experiments with electricity. One of these involved a kite and lightning and proved that lightning was a form of electricity. Benjamin Franklin invented the Franklin stove and the lightning rod. Mr. Franklin and the Junto, a club he started, made several improvements to the city of Philadelphia. These improvements included the first plans to sweep and light Philadelphia's streets, as well as founding the city’s first firefighting company, first hospital, and first collage. He was also elected to the Pennsylvania assembly in
1751.
Just a few years after being elected to the Pennsylvania assembly, Benjamin Franklin and his fellow lawmakers were engaged in a conflict with the powerful Penn family over the issue of fair and equal taxation. The colony of Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn under a British charter, and the Penn family still governed the colony and owned most of its unsettled land. The Pennsylvania Assembly passed a bill that taxed all land in Pennsylvania, but the Penn family, opposed to any bill that would tax their land, argued that their land was exempt from taxation. The argument escalated to the point where the Pennsylvania Assembly sent Benjamin Franklin to London to argue the case with the Penn family or, if that failed, the British government. When Benjamin Franklin arrived in England for the second time, he found he was just as popular there as he was back in Philadelphia and had no trouble getting into clubs and making new friends. The negotiations with the Penn family seemed to drag on endlessly, but the Penns finally agreed to pay limited taxes on their land and Mr. Franklin was able to return back to Philadelphia in 1762. We still benefit from some of the things that Benjamin Franklin pioneered during his midlife.
Benjamin Franklin’s late life accomplishments are what we remember him for the most. Just two years after he returned, Mr. Franklin was sent back to London as a representative of the Pennsylvania Assembly. While Franklin was in London, unrest over the new laws passed by England was sweeping through the colonies. Franklin also believed that the new taxes and laws were unfair, he argued that it was the right of a British citizen to vote on their own taxes. He lobbied against laws such as the stamp act and eventually helped get every law repealed, except for a tax on tea. Britain's refusal to remove the tax lead to the Boston Tea Party. Benjamin Franklin was singled out as a scapegoat for Britain's growing problems with the colonies and was stripped of his post as deputy postmaster general for North America. King George III of Great Britain encouraged Parliament to pass harsh laws on the colonies. The colonies were heading toward rebellion, and Benjamin Franklin was ready to join them.
Mr. Franklin returned home from England to find his wife, Deborah Franklin, had died of illness. Mr. Franklin also learned that the battles of Lexington and Concord had happened while he was traveling the high seas, beginning the Revolutionary War. The day after he returned, Benjamin Franklin was sent to the second Continental Congress as the representative of Pennsylvania. Mr. Franklin made good use of his time there and, after a failed attempt to recruit the Canadians, he was assigned to a committee that was tasked with drafting what we now know as the Declaration of Independence. To gain support for the colonies, Benjamin Franklin joined a delegation to France at age seventy one. When he arrived, Mr. Franklin discovered that he was one of France’s most famous celebrities. Mr. Franklin and his fellow delegates succeeded in convincing the French to ally with the colonies and two treaties between the two, one for a military alliance and one for an agreement on freedom and trade, were signed on February 6, 1778. After Britain surrendered, Benjamin Franklin negotiated the Treaty of Paris with them. When Mr. Franklin returned home in 1885, he was elected as the de facto governor of Pennsylvania. He was also chosen to go to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. It was there that the Constitution was signed. Benjamin Franklin died on April 17, 1790 he was eighty four.
Mr. Franklin’s many different accomplishments changed the world for the better. He is quoted as saying to his mother that once his life was over, “I would rather have it said, ‘he lived usefully’, than ‘he died rich.’” From Benjamin Franklin, we can learn many things. One such thing is that it does not matter if one is born to a king or a candle maker. Any person can go on to do great things if they work hard enough.
Benjamin Franklin's early life was the foundation for the rest of his life; all of his later accomplishments were built on what he did over this time period. Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on January 17, 1706. After 2 years of schooling, the young Mr. Franklin was expected to work at his father Josiah’s soap and candle making shop. Benjamin refused and when he was 12 years old, he took an apprenticeship under his older …show more content…
brother James and began learning the art of printing. When his older brother started published a newspaper, Mr. Franklin wrote articles making fun of the quirks of Boston society. Young Ben wrote under the alias of Silence Dogood. After James learned who was really behind the Silence Dogood articles, he was furious that Ben had deceived him. These tensions between the two brothers eventually lead to Benjamin setting off to London alone at the age of 18. This voyage set the young Benjamin Franklin on a course for greatness.
Benjamin Franklin’s midlife was the prime of his life.
Most of his many accomplishments were achieved during this period. After returning from London, Mr. Franklin started his own printing business at age 24, the same year he married Deborah Read. He began printing a newspaper called the Pennsylvania Gazette and it soon became the leading paper in Pennsylvania. Mr. Franklin started publishing “Poor Richard’s Almanac” in 1733. This helpful book made him wealthy enough that he was able to retire at age 42. Mr. Franklin, inspired by the very popular electricity magicians, started conducting experiments with electricity. One of these involved a kite and lightning and proved that lightning was a form of electricity. Benjamin Franklin invented the Franklin stove and the lightning rod. Mr. Franklin and the Junto, a club he started, made several improvements to the city of Philadelphia. These improvements included the first plans to sweep and light Philadelphia's streets, as well as founding the city’s first firefighting company, first hospital, and first collage. He was also elected to the Pennsylvania assembly in
1751.
Just a few years after being elected to the Pennsylvania assembly, Benjamin Franklin and his fellow lawmakers were engaged in a conflict with the powerful Penn family over the issue of fair and equal taxation. The colony of Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn under a British charter, and the Penn family still governed the colony and owned most of its unsettled land. The Pennsylvania Assembly passed a bill that taxed all land in Pennsylvania, but the Penn family, opposed to any bill that would tax their land, argued that their land was exempt from taxation. The argument escalated to the point where the Pennsylvania Assembly sent Benjamin Franklin to London to argue the case with the Penn family or, if that failed, the British government. When Benjamin Franklin arrived in England for the second time, he found he was just as popular there as he was back in Philadelphia and had no trouble getting into clubs and making new friends. The negotiations with the Penn family seemed to drag on endlessly, but the Penns finally agreed to pay limited taxes on their land and Mr. Franklin was able to return back to Philadelphia in 1762. We still benefit from some of the things that Benjamin Franklin pioneered during his midlife.
Benjamin Franklin’s late life accomplishments are what we remember him for the most. Just two years after he returned, Mr. Franklin was sent back to London as a representative of the Pennsylvania Assembly. While Franklin was in London, unrest over the new laws passed by England was sweeping through the colonies. Franklin also believed that the new taxes and laws were unfair, he argued that it was the right of a British citizen to vote on their own taxes. He lobbied against laws such as the stamp act and eventually helped get every law repealed, except for a tax on tea. Britain's refusal to remove the tax lead to the Boston Tea Party. Benjamin Franklin was singled out as a scapegoat for Britain's growing problems with the colonies and was stripped of his post as deputy postmaster general for North America. King George III of Great Britain encouraged Parliament to pass harsh laws on the colonies. The colonies were heading toward rebellion, and Benjamin Franklin was ready to join them.
Mr. Franklin returned home from England to find his wife, Deborah Franklin, had died of illness. Mr. Franklin also learned that the battles of Lexington and Concord had happened while he was traveling the high seas, beginning the Revolutionary War. The day after he returned, Benjamin Franklin was sent to the second Continental Congress as the representative of Pennsylvania. Mr. Franklin made good use of his time there and, after a failed attempt to recruit the Canadians, he was assigned to a committee that was tasked with drafting what we now know as the Declaration of Independence. To gain support for the colonies, Benjamin Franklin joined a delegation to France at age seventy one. When he arrived, Mr. Franklin discovered that he was one of France’s most famous celebrities. Mr. Franklin and his fellow delegates succeeded in convincing the French to ally with the colonies and two treaties between the two, one for a military alliance and one for an agreement on freedom and trade, were signed on February 6, 1778. After Britain surrendered, Benjamin Franklin negotiated the Treaty of Paris with them. When Mr. Franklin returned home in 1885, he was elected as the de facto governor of Pennsylvania. He was also chosen to go to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. It was there that the Constitution was signed. Benjamin Franklin died on April 17, 1790 he was eighty four.
Mr. Franklin’s many different accomplishments changed the world for the better. He is quoted as saying to his mother that once his life was over, “I would rather have it said, ‘he lived usefully’, than ‘he died rich.’” From Benjamin Franklin, we can learn many things. One such thing is that it does not matter if one is born to a king or a candle maker. Any person can go on to do great things if they work hard enough.