Ben Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

Report by Michael

a sketch of Benjamin Franklin Who was he? He was a printer, statesman and an inventor/scientist!

Ben Franklin only went to school for two years but educated himself through reading. He loved to read, and at 12 he went to work for his brother, James Paper, as an apprentice printer. He also started to write articles anonymously, and people really liked them. After a lot of experience as a printer he bought a failing paper, called “The Pennsylvania Gazette,” Ben's Join or Die Snake and made it a thriving one. Ben then wrote and published the Poor Richard’s Almanac, which became a best seller. Ben loved to read, but books were expensive so he helped to open a lending library so everyone could get books at no cost. Later he became the official printer of Pennsylvania where he printed money, laws, and documents. He even wrote a comic called Join, or Die. Later, others also used him as a printer. At 42 he retired from printing to try other things.

When Ben lived, America was made up of thirteen colonies ruled by England, and he was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1750.

During that time, war broke out between the British and the French in America, and Benjamin Franklin helped the British. He supplied them with wagons, horses, and essential goods. So in 1757 he went to London representing the colonies, to talk to the king about taxes. He stayed there Ben and a political paper for a few years, and went back and forth to England often. Finally the colonies went to war against England because of the Stamp, Townshend, and Intolerable Act in 1775. Ben helped to draft and sign The Declaration on Independence. In 1778 he signed the Treaty or Alliance with France, which secured troops and provisions for the colonists. When America won it’s independence he helped negotiate peace with Britain, and signed the Treaty of Peace with Great Britain in 1782.

The colonist were now independent and needed to decide what type of government they should have and Ben, at age 81, was the oldest delegate at the Constitutional Convention, where the Constitution was signed on Sept. 17, 1787. Benjamin Franklin became the only founding father to sign all five documents that made America independent: The Declaration of Independence, The Treaty of Amity and Commerce with France, The Treaty of Alliance with France, The Treaty of Peace with Great Britain, and The Constitution of the United States of America.

And now for the cool stuff! ....

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin was an inventor? Ben was most known as the “inventor” of electricity from the kite experiment. But! ......he didn’t actually invent electricity, he just defined some of the properties of electricity. Ben and the kite

He did invent many things, such as the Franklin Stove, bifocals, swim fins, watertight bulkheads, a glass armonica, the rocking chair and the street lamp just to name a few.

And! He charted the Gulf Stream during his numerous trips across the Atlantic Ocean!

While Ben Franklin became most known for his inventions, he gave them freely to the world so that everyone could benefit from them.

Benjamin Franklin: Founding Father, Printer, Statesman and Inventor/Scientist

Citations

Web Sites

The great idea finder. "Benjamin Franklin: Fascinating Facts." at <http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/franklin.htm> (January 2003).

Robert Ripley. "Inventors Museum/Benjamin Franklin." at <http://inventorsmuseum.com/benjamin-franklin.htm> (January, 2003).

World Book Online. "Franklin, Benjamin." at <http://www.worldbookonline.com>.

Images

Images of political Ben and kite Ben from "Microsoft Office Design Gallery Live" <http://dgl.microsoft.com/?CAG=1> Images free for non-profit and personal use. (December-March, 2003).

Images of Ben and snake from "ArtToday.com" <http://members.clipart.com/en/index> (2003).