StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Benjamin Franklin - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
He was born on the 17th of January of 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts (Vinci, par.1). He came from a large family with 13 siblings and grew…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.1% of users find it useful
Benjamin Franklin
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Benjamin Franklin"

Benjamin Franklin One of the pillars of American history who had been instrumental in contributing various works in an array of endeavors is Benjamin Franklin. He was born on the 17th of January of 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts (Vinci, par.1). He came from a large family with 13 siblings and grew up in Milk Street in a cramped household. Due to financial instability, the family could not afford sending Benjamin to school and opted to make him an apprentice to his brother’s employment as a printer.

Unfortunate travails with his brother in the printing shop provided the impetus for Benjamin’s running away in 1723 en route to Philadelphia. Life in Philadelphia was focused mainly on applying his expertise as a printer. It is here where he married Deborah Read in 1730 at the age of 24. The entrepreneurial skills of the spouses were enhanced through diverse businesses ranging from retail selling, bookstore, printing and contributing literary works in the Pennsylvania Gazette (US History, par. 14). One of the most famous works he published as Richard Saunders is the “Poor Richard’s Almanac” where “years later the most striking of these sayings were collected and published in a book” (Bellis, 3).

In 1749, Benjamin’s scientific pursuits were highlighted as he invented diverse gadgets, to wit: the Franklin stove, “swim fins, the glass harmonica (a musical instrument) and bifocals” (US History, par. 21). He was more famously known for having conducted various experiments leading to the discovery of electricity (Bellis, 2011). In another field of endeavor, Benjamin ventured into the political arena in the 1750s. He had vast accomplishments in Philadelphia, of which the following are noteworthy: “first circulating library in Philadelphia, an academy which grew into the University of Pennsylvania.

, the foundation of a hospital” among others (Bellis, 5).He was likewise civic minded and envisioned to provide a more beneficial society through “the paving and cleaning of the streets, better street lighting, the organization of a police force and of a fire company” (Bellis, 5). The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) revealed that more than being a man of diverse interests, Benjamin Franklin was considered a citizen of the world for having “negotiated treaties with Great Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, and Spain and helped secure Americas place in the world.

As a respected scientist and scholar, he was granted honorary degrees in England, Scotland, and America. And as an Enlightenment thinker, he exchanged letters with some of the greatest minds of the eighteenth century” (PBS: World of Influence, par. 2). He was truly a remarkable person, a genius in his own right whose works continue to play an inspirational part in contemporary generation’s history to the past. He died on the 17th of April, 1790 in the city of Philadelphia.“My Thoughts” One could only admire the great contributions of Benjamin Franklin as evidenced by the works that influence today’s scientific, literary and political events.

Despite a challenging childhood, he was able to surpass trials and remained successful through hard work, diligence and perseverance. His innate intellectual talents were put into productive use that benefited mankind during his lifetime and provided inspiration to people pursuing the same line of interests. A man of exemplary drive to be instrumental in changing the world made it a better place to live in.Works CitedBellis, M. Benjamin Franklin and his Times. 2010. Web. 21 March 2011. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

Benjamin Franklin. 2002. Web. 21 March 2011. < http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l2_world.html> US History. A Quick Biography of Benjamin Franklin. 2010. Web. 21 March 2011. < http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/info/index.htm> Vinci, J. Benjamin Franklin. 2004. Web. 20 March 2011. < http://colonialhall.com/franklin/franklin.php>

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Benjamin Franklin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1576028-benjamin-franklin
(Benjamin Franklin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words - 1)
https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1576028-benjamin-franklin.
“Benjamin Franklin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words - 1”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1576028-benjamin-franklin.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin: A Self-Designed Man

Prof's Name Class name Date month year Benjamin Franklin: A Self-Designed Man Benjamin Franklin helped found the United States of America in 1776, when he helped fashion the Declaration of Independence with Thomas Jefferson.... hellip; However, when writing his autobiography, franklin never got to the most important parts of his life.... Instead, what franklin concentrated on was his early life and how he made his fortune.... franklin was the quintessential self-made man, but there is a lot missing from the text leaving readers wanting to know more....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Name Instructor Task Date Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Introduction Throughout the journey into the lives of Americas most famous and successful men, the years of Benjamin Franklin never cease to impress.... Benjamin Franklin was born in Massachusetts, New England in 1706 to Josiah Franklin and Abiah Folger, his second wife.... As a result of the abject poverty that had ravaged the British colonies during this time, and bearing in mind the many siblings in the family, benjamin attended Boston Latin school, a clergy school for a couple of years and was forced to end his studies prematurely due to lack of money....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Benevolent Benjamin Franklin

YOUR NAME HERE YOUR TUTOR HERE YOUR COURSE HERE DATE HERE The Benevolent Benjamin Franklin INTRODUCTION Benjamin Franklin was a proverbial man of the world, an individual who, throughout his lifetime, was exposed to a variety of people in society with distinctly different socio-economic backgrounds.... hellip; In early life, franklin was born into the working class, his father a soap and candle-maker.... By early adulthood, franklin had become a fugitive to a low-paying apprenticeship, declared his independence from his modest family lifestyle, had travelled to London on business, and eventually found his roots in study in Pennsylvania....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Benjamin Franklin: the Perfect Persona

Benjamin Franklin (The Perfect Persona) Justin M.... hellip; Even fewer still have controlled the path of their own persona as Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).... In this paper, the scientific persona of Benjamin Franklin is discussed in greater detail to show how his scientific genius contributed to the understanding and knowledge of the nature of electricity, which in his time, was still newly-researched and barely understood by a majority of people....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Discussion Question Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, is sometimes said to have co-founded the concept of self-made man.... work] Benjamin Franklin: the Self-Made Man and his Views of Ideal Nation Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, is sometimes said to have co-founded the concept of self-made man.... By the way he lived his life, he defines the concept in its most expressive terms. franklin had little formal schooling and was self-educated for the most part....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin, through his composition "The Way to Wealth," emphasizes on the right way to grow wealthy.... franklin reminds the readers of various quotes used previously in his own almanacs named "Poor Richard's Almanac".... franklin combines the various quotes from his own work in order to provide a logical reasoning of what one can do to become financially independent and socially respectable, his suggestions being relevant at all times. … franklin has followed a distinctive structure to present his idea....
3 Pages (750 words) Book Report/Review

Benjamin Franklin 2

Most came from similar economic and social… franklin earned fame as a statesman in trying to resolve the issue with the British colonies.... Initially he was representing Most of the colonial population in America during the time of franklin was English speaking and of British origin.... franklin earned fame as a statesman in trying to resolve the issue with the British colonies.... In fact franklin made several visits to England to ease the problems that was being faced due to the British colonies....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Benjamin Franklin and his contribution to US

This paper is dedicated to the analysis of the contributions of Benjamin Franklin to the country he played a role in founding.... Fire was very a dangerous threat to Philadelphians therefore Benjamin Franklin created the Union Fire Company in 1736 to remedy the situation.... benjamin was dedicated to improving the lives of Americans and thus focused a lot of his efforts to this course.... No wonder, historians call him the quintessential American because of his creative… benjamin's contributions to America are quite clearly etched in the minds of many an American....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us