Benjamin Franklin.

(Boston, January 17. 1706- April 17. 1790)

Benjamin Franklin was a well known political theorist, author, satirist,

politician, scientist, inventor, soldier among others. He had only basic
studies in South Grammar School; he stopped studding when he was
ten years old. After school he worked with his father at a small candle
and soap factory of his family, and when he was twelve he worked at
his brother’s press as an apprentice; while working in the press he
wrote his very first two poems.

When he was fifteen his older brother created a news paper that is
considered the first independent news paper of the British colonies. In
this news paper Franklin published his first writings. Then he moved
traveled to England in 1724 to finish his printing studies, and started
writing in more conscious and critic way. In October 11 1726 he went
back to Philadelphia and the next year created with his associate
Meredith his own press.

He got married Deborah read 1730 and they had three children. In
1731 he founded the first public Library of Philadelphia and the same
year he joined to the Freemasonry; he also founded the first firemen
station, and he participated in the foundation of the first university of
Pennsylvania.

He spent most his last year of life in bed, sick of Pleurisy; however he
never stopped his political activities. He finally died in 1790 because
of that disease.

Character:
Franklin wanted to cultivated his character by using thirteen virtues
that he developed himself when he was twenty, and he continued
using them trough all his life; those virtues are:

TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation."

"SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling
conversation."

"ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business
have its time."
 "RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail
what you resolve."

"FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do well to others or yourself; i.e.,

waste nothing."

"INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off

all unnecessary actions."

"SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you
speak, speak accordingly."

"JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are
your duty."

"MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you

think they deserve."

"CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation."

"TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or

unavoidable."

"CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness,
weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation."

"HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates."

(sln.fi.edu/Franklin/inventor/inventor.html)(Benjamin F.)

Scientific work:
His passion for science started just at the same time of his political
life, he was influenced by contemporary Scientifics as Isaac Newton,
or Joseph Addison. It’s said that his natural curiosity and his need to
know how things worked made him think of ways to make them work
even better. As he poor vision he used glasses and he hated to take
them out and them put them back on, so he created what we know as
bifocals using two pairs of spectacles cut in a half so hi could be able
to see near or far without taking the glasses off.

Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod which protected

buildings and ships from lightning damage. In colonial America people
used to warm themselves by using fire in a fire place, but it was too
dangerous so Franklin created an iron furnace stove, which was less
dangerous and used less good.

As postmaster he invented the odometer to check the distance of the

delivery routs. When he was older he wanted to spend a lot of time reading
but he couldn’t reach some books so he created a tool called the long arm
which is a long wooden pole that helped him to reach the books.

Politic work:
His first immersion in politics was in 1736 when he was elected
member of the Philadelphia General Assembly; in 1747 he created the
first militia to defend Pennsylvania. He participated, as well, in the
American independence process, and he influenced the redaction of
the declaration of independence. He contributed also to the end of
the independence war by the sign of the Paris agreement. He was
elected Pennsylvania gubernator and he worked all his life for the
north American country formation.

Writings:
Franklin wrote about many topics since he was immerse in many of
them, he stared writing poems but he never continued because of his
father’s critics. He wrote for example at economy topics like:

A Modest Enquiry into the Nature and Necessity of a Paper-Currency, 1729

(Hypertext on American History)
A Modest Enquiry into the Nature and Necessity of a Paper-Currency, 1729
Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, etc., 1751
The Way to Wealth, 7 July 1757 (ALRA -- University of Southern Florida)
On the Price of Corn and Management of the Poor, 27-29 November 1766 (Founders
Library)
Information to Those Who Would Remove to America, September 1782 (The
Founder's Constitution)
Information To Those Who Would Remove To America (on the Virtue of
Industriousness), 1794(?) (Founders Library)
Letter to Robert Morris , 25 December 1783 (The Founder's Constitution)

Off course he wrote about scientific topics:

The Electrical Writings of Benjamin Franklin
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN1706-1790 -- includes "Farther Experiments and Observations
in Electricty"
Observations and Suppositions Towards Forming a New Hypothesis for Explaining
the Several Phenomena of Thunder Gusts, 1749 (Ben Franklin Ideas)
Franklin's Correspondence About the Glass Armonica
Experiments with Balloons, 1 December 1783, letters
METEOROLOGICAL IMAGINATIONS and CONJECTURES, 22 December I784
And he wrote many other books, real peaces of art, like:
Rules for The New-England Courant - January 28, 1722/3
To "Your Honour" - February 4, 1722/3
On Titles of Honour - February 18, 1722/3
High Tide in Boston - March 4, 1722/3
Timothy Wagstaff to Old Master Janus - April 15, 1723
Abigail Twitterfield to Honost Doctor Janus- July 8, 1723
A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain - 1725
Plan of Conduct – 1726
(www.geocities.com/peterroberts.geo/BFrWr.html#bfecws)