Benjamin Franklin was born on January 1706 on Boston, Massachusetts. His father was Josiah Franklin, soap maker and candle maker. He attended Boston Latin School and by the age of ten, he completed his education. He started to working for his father at the age of twelve and then joined his brother in selling of printers. He ran away to Philadelphia by the age of seventeen without permission from his elder brother. He started a new life in the town by working in many printing shops within the town. He was a hard working person who tried his best to improve his life and life of others especially in writing. He was a successful editor and a newspaper writer who published Pennsylvania chronicles with his two other friends, William and Joseph. He was a politician, editor, musician, theorist, inventor, scientist, postmaster in the Britain arm and a printer. His colorful work in the field of invention made him remembered in the history of the America and honored in coins, worship places, towns, institutions and streets. He served as the president of American Philosophical Society and played a big role in establishment of University of Pennsylvania.
Franklin was a printer who took most of his time in printing shops. His frequent reading and typing is what changed his life. He talked about his life in terms of books using some of the metaphors such as reading and printing. He succeeded in writing a newspaper because of this experience he got from typing. Franklin founding a library and a university reflects how much he loved knowledge and wanted other people to be like him. He improved himself because of using his experiences to come up with ideas, which assisted many people. Ha taught himself Spanish, Italian, French and Latin .He worked very hard in his studies and created a good image to the people of America and Europe. He worked hard in the shop of Denham and studied accounts to become a good sales man.”studied accounts.and grew. .Expert in selling” (Brands 2010)
Franklin used all the opportunities he came across to benefit himself and other people. On his arrival in Philadelphia, he asked a boy where he could get some bread. He immediately went to the bakery and bought several rolls. Due to his generosity, he shared them with a woman and her children who were also in need. His self-improvement is showed when he talks about his visit to his family in Boston. “.was better dressed. than ever” (Brands 2010) He talks about his new suit, silvery watch. Keimer tempted him with a huge wages, but he decided to leave due to his bad character. He got another job from George Webb whose printing shop was in a bad condition. Franklin improved it by putting it in order as he claims.”printing in order. had been in confusion” (Brands 2010). This shows how he worked hard to improve his work. He worked in many shops improving their sales and made more profit. When he was working in Keimer’s shop, he mistreated him but he continued to work hard. We notice his hard work even when he was a young boy in his brother’s shop.
Franklin valued his health much. When he went to Philadelphia, he decided to eat vegetables alone without meat. He could not eat even eat fish because the Sabbath custom was not allowing it. He hated drinking beer in his life. He gives a story of his friend who was drinking every day before taking breakfast and on Saturday; he had nothing to pay for rent. ”my companion in the press drank every day” (Macmillan 2011.) He suggested to him to have an alternative food like flour of barley which could give him energy rather than beer.
Franklin kept many friends. In Philadelphia, he had friends like Keith who was a governor, Miss Read, Mr. Denham who opened a purchasing shop with Franklin, Judge Allen, Samuel Bustill, the secretary of the province, Isaac Pearson, Joseph cooper, smiths, assembly members and many others. He followed every advice he received from old people in the streets. He created closed relationship with everybody he met and tried to work with them together. Franklin tells us how he worked and lived with people who liked to read like him. They prepared poems and represented them and he became the best. He had acquaintances with people like Wygate who was wealth printer and loved reading.” Having wealthy relationsloved reading.” (Brands 2010)He taught them how to swim with his friend at least twice per week.
Franklin was not an extravagant. He saved money to use in future because he valued wealth.” Amassed wealth” (Brands 2010) this is the reason why he condoned his friend for spending all money. Franklin was also a humble man who disliked arguing with people and was not proud; he was kind and practiced charity all the time. He tried to be a person of good character and reputation. When Keimer talked rude to him after looking outside through the window, he kept quiet and decided to leave instead of arguing with him. Franklin liked to compete with other commercial enterprises in his area of residence. He laid all strategies to win others especially in the business by improving his work at a big level than others.
Franklin planned his work before doing it. When he was a commissioner to Pennsylvania and he drew a plan for all union of colonies, which were under one central government for the defense of forces. The congress considered it as the most appropriate to use. You can get his political plan books in the U.S and Britain. It reviews how organized the man was in every field of his work. He was an assembly member who played a role of writing answering the speeches of governor in New York because of his fluent in both Latin and English. He could treat his solders well to encourage and motivate them to fight strongly by paying their wages.”.when men are employed they are best contented” (Isaacson 2003) He wanted to win against the Indian troops.
Franklin met with Dr. Spence in Boston. He shown him some electric experiments and got interested in them. He took this opportunity to make a glass tube after carrying several experiments in the library. He decided to perform those experiments for money in cities and streets and earned a lot of money after the advice of
Mr. Kinnersley who was a lecturer. He tried to defend his experiments from other people who had the same idea of electricity and later lone he was the best. He proved that lightning is electricity after doing a research on electricity.
Franklin has influenced many people who have read his books and autography in different ways. He teaches us to do our best in any circumstance to be the best in universe. When we consider his duty as general, he treated his troops well for them to deliver. He used all method to improve his work and become the best. We should put efforts so that we win obstacles, which are in front of us especially poverty. He valued wealth so he fought to become one. A good thing with Franklin is, when he introduces himself to any new idea, he acquired the knowledge equitably.
References
1.H.W. Brands, (2010). The first American: The life and times of Benjamin Franklin. New York. Random House Digital.
2. Macmillan, (2011). Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New York. Macmillan's pocket English and American classics.
3. Isaacson, Walter, (2003).Benjamin Franklin: an American Life. New York: Simon & Schuster.
