The Negative Influence Of Benjamin Franklin's Political Message

This essay will not complete without knowing who is Benjamin Franklin really, Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on January 17, 1706. He was the tenth son of soap maker, Josiah Franklin. Benjamin's mother was Abiah Folger, the second wife of Josiah. In all, Josiah would father 17 children. Josiah intended for Benjamin to enter into the clergy. However, Josiah could only afford to send his son to school for one year and clergymen needed years of schooling. But, as young Benjamin loved to read he had him apprenticed to his brother James, who was a printer. After helping James compose pamphlets and set type which was grueling work, 12-year-old Benjamin would sell their products in the streets. Franklin was elected to the Second Continental Congress
and worked on a committee of five that helped to draft the Declaration of Independence. He became President of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania. He served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and signed the Constitution. One of his last public acts was writing an anti-slavery treatise in 1789.Franklin died on April 17, 1790 at the age of 84.
The library was founded because most Americans in the 1730s had limited access to books. Books, in early America, were rare and expensive. There were no public libraries. Only the very wealthy and the clergy had access to large numbers of books. Even men of moderate means could not readily afford books. On July 1, 1731, Franklin and a group of members from the Junto, a philosophical association, drew up "Articles of Agreement" to form a library. The Junto was interested in a wide range of ideas, from economics to solving social woes to politics to science. But they could not turn to books to increase their knowledge or settle disputes, as between them they owned few tomes. But they recognized that via the Junto's combined purchasing power, books could be made available to all members. So it was that 50 subscribers invested 40 shillings each to start a library. Members also promised to invest 10 shillings more every year to buy additional books and to help maintain the library. They chose as their motto a Latin phrase which roughly translates as "To support the common good is divine." Philip Syng, a silversmith who would one day create the inkstand with which the Declaration and Constitution were signed, designed the Company's seal.
Benjamin Franklin's publications reflected his democratic spirit and so were popular in format and content. Poor Richard's Almanac consisted of stories about a fictional "Poor Richard" whose trials and tribulations provided an ideal context in which Franklin could advise readers on politics, philosophy, and how to get ahead in the world.

Ben Franklin used political cartoons to illustrate news stories and to heighten reader appeal. The May 9, 1754 issue included Join, or Die, which is widely considered the first American political cartoon. Devised by Franklin, the cartoon reflected concern about increasing French pressure along the western frontier of the colonies. Quest for Moral Perfection Benjamin Franklin is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in American history. The numerous advancements contributed by Franklin were made possible by a lot of work on his part. His outlook is best represented by his famous quote,
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” Franklin did not sway from that philosophy, and spent little time at leisure, as it was not productive. Franklin’s work ethic, moral outlook, and constant interest in self-improvement throughout his life are his biggest claims to fame. Franklin’s strict adherence to his thirteen virtues-which he created in his pursuit of moral perfection-is responsible for many of his countless contributions to the colonies. Very important to Franklin’s life, was the little book he carried on his person at all times. In this book, he charted on a day to day basis, which virtues he had not obeyed, and marked a check for each mistake. Franklin set aside one week per virtue, and ordered his virtues such that whenever perfection in a virtue was attained, it would make achieving the following virtue easier. Franklin found that he had much to improve upon. Another ingredient to Franklin’s recipe for greatness was his daily schedule. Franklin divided his day up by the hour and knew what he was to be doing at all times. This he found difficult at times, and involving the virtue Order, at one time he almost gave up. In one of Franklin's few pessimistic moments, he is quoted as saying, “This article (order) therefore cost me so much painful attention, and my faults in it vexed me so much…that I was almost ready to give up the attempt and content myself with a faulty character in that respect.” An amusing anecdote about a man who concludes that “a speckled axe is best” follows, and in looking back on his life, Franklin demonstrates his mastery of the thirteenth virtue, Humility. Even before he set his thirteen virtues to writing, Franklin could be seen demonstrating many of them. In one instance involving his friend Collins, Franklin demonstrates Resolution, Justice, and Sincerity. During a voyage, Collins refuses to row, and Franklin resolves to perform what he must. An argument ensued, and Franklin, knowing that Collins was a good swimmer, decided the only course of action would be to throw him overboard. He was in a clear state of mind the whole time, and did absolutely nothing that he would regret later on. Temperance was also a virtue that Franklin had practiced his entire life. He was never a heavy drinker, and always ate in moderation. Franklin prided himself on being an excellent debater, and while creating his virtues, he added Silence as a guide to others explaining one reason he was such an excellent crafter of argument. “2. Silence- Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.” Franklin means for others not to get caught up in petty squabbles, but rather to speak.
Like the other advocates of republicanism, Franklin emphasized that the new republic could survive only if the people were virtuous.
All his life he explored the role of civic and personal virtue, as expressed in Poor Richard's aphorisms. Franklin felt that organized religion was necessary to keep men good to their fellow men, but rarely attended religious services himself. When Franklin met Voltaire in Paris and asked this great apostle of the Enlightenment to bless his grandson, Voltaire said in English, "God and Liberty," and added, "this is the only appropriate benediction for the grandson of Monsieur Franklin."Franklin’s parents were both pious Puritans. The family attended the old South Church, the most liberal Puritan congregation in Boston, where Benjamin Franklin was baptized in 1706. Franklin’s father, a poor chandler, owned a copy of a book, Bonifacius: Essays to Do Good, by the Puritan preacher and family friend Cotton Mather, which Franklin often cited as a key influence on his life. Franklin’s first pen name, Silence Do good, paid homage both to the book and to a famous sermon by Mather. The book preached the importance of forming voluntary associations to benefit society. Franklin learned about forming do-good associations from Cotton Mather, but his organizational skills made him the most influential force in making voluntarism an enduring part of the American ethos. Franklin formulated a presentation of his beliefs and published it in 1728. It did not
mention many of the Puritan ideas as regards belief in salvation, the divinity of Jesus, and indeed most religious dogma. He clarified himself as a deist in his 1771 autobiography, although he still considered himself a Christian. He retained a strong faith in a God as the wellspring of morality and goodness in man, and as a providential actor in history responsible for American independence.