| Benjamin Franklin | |
|---|---|
| Portrait of Benjamin Franklin | |
| Born |
January 17, 1706
|
| Died |
April 17, 1790 (aged 84)
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| Occupations | Printer, author, inventor, scientist, diplomat, statesman, philosopher |
| Notable works | Poor Richard’s Almanack; The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin |
| Known for | Lightning rod; bifocals; Franklin stove; electricity experiments; civic founding of libraries and fire brigades; diplomacy in the American Revolution |
| Major offices | * U.S. Minister to France (1778–1785) * Postmaster General (Continental Congress) (1775–1776) * President (Governor) of Pennsylvania (1785–1788) |
Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was an American polymath—printer, writer, inventor, scientist, diplomat, and statesman—widely regarded as one of the most influential **Founding Fathers of the United States**. He helped draft the **Declaration of Independence**, secured crucial French support during the **American Revolutionary War**, and shaped the postwar settlement and the new Constitution.
Early Life and Printing Career
Born in Boston as the fifteenth of seventeen children, Franklin apprenticed in his brother’s print shop before moving to Philadelphia. There he founded a successful printing business and published the Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Richard’s Almanack, famous for wit and practical maxims. His prosperity funded wide-ranging civic projects, including a lending library, a fire company, and support for public education.
Science and Invention
Franklin became an international celebrity for his experiments with **electricity**. He proposed the single-fluid theory of charge, coined terms like “battery” and “conductor,” and demonstrated the identity of lightning and electricity—leading to the **lightning rod**. His practical inventions included **bifocal glasses** and the **Franklin stove**. He helped found the **American Philosophical Society** to advance scientific learning.
Civic Leadership and Colonial Politics
In Philadelphia, Franklin served as postmaster and led efforts to improve urban services and public safety. As a colonial agent in London, he lobbied for Pennsylvania and other colonies. Britain’s taxation policies after the Seven Years’ War transformed him from imperial reformer into a leading advocate of American rights.
Revolution and Diplomacy
A member of the **Second Continental Congress**, Franklin helped draft and signed the **Declaration of Independence** (1776). Dispatched to Paris, he became **U.S. Minister to France**, where his diplomacy secured military and financial aid vital to victory. He negotiated the **Treaty of Alliance (1778)** and later, with fellow commissioners, the **Treaty of Paris (1783)**, which ended the war and recognized American independence.
Constitution and Later Years
Returning home, Franklin served as **President (Governor) of Pennsylvania** and as the oldest delegate at the **Constitutional Convention of 1787**. His speeches—often delivered through written remarks read by others—urged compromise to secure union. In his final years, he advocated for abolition, petitioning Congress against slavery in 1790.
Legacy
Franklin’s blend of **practical ingenuity**, **civic spirit**, and **diplomatic acumen** made him a symbol of American possibility. His sayings shaped popular culture; his institutions—libraries, learned societies, postal networks—endured; and his statecraft helped birth the nation. Monuments, currency, and countless schools bear his name.