Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

Born	January 17, 1706 Boston, Massachusetts
Died	April 17, 1790 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Occupation	Printer, writer, scientist, inventor, diplomat, statesman
Years active	1718-1790
Known for	Founding Father, electrical experiments, civic institutions
Spouse	Deborah Read (m. 1730)
Children	3 (William, Francis, Sarah)
Education	Self-taught
Residence	[[Philadelphia]]

Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was an American polymath, Founding Father, and Philadelphia's most famous citizen. A printer, writer, scientist, inventor, and diplomat, Franklin is the only Founding Father to have signed all four of the key documents establishing the United States: the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Treaty of Alliance with France (1778), the Treaty of Paris (1783), and the United States Constitution (1787).

Franklin arrived in Philadelphia as a runaway apprentice in 1723 and transformed both himself and the city through his entrepreneurship, scientific discoveries, and civic innovations. He founded or helped establish many of Philadelphia's most enduring institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, the Library Company of Philadelphia, and the American Philosophical Society. His electrical experiments, including the famous kite experiment, brought him international fame and the Royal Society's Copley Medal—the 18th-century equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

Franklin has been called "the most accomplished American of his age and the most influential in inventing the type of society America would become."

Early Life

Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts, the fifteenth of seventeen children born to Josiah Franklin, a poor English candlemaker. His formal education was limited—ending at age ten—but Franklin was an avid reader who taught himself to become a skilled writer through careful study of The Spectator and other publications.

In 1718, at age twelve, Franklin was apprenticed to his older brother James, a Boston printer. By sixteen, he was contributing essays to his brother's newspaper under the pseudonym "Silence Dogood," a fictional widow whose witty observations on Boston society became popular with readers. However, tensions with his brother led the seventeen-year-old Franklin to run away from his apprenticeship in 1723, eventually making his way to Philadelphia.

Life in Philadelphia

Arrival and Early Career

Franklin arrived in Philadelphia in October 1723, famously walking up Market Street carrying two puffy rolls under his arms after spending his last money on bread. Despite arriving with little more than the clothes on his back, Franklin quickly found work as a printer and began building what would become a remarkable career.

After a brief and disappointing trip to London (1724-1726), Franklin returned to Philadelphia and established his own printing business in 1728. He became wealthy publishing The Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Richard's Almanack, the latter featuring his famous aphorisms such as "A penny saved is a penny earned" and "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."

In 1730, Franklin entered a common-law marriage with Deborah Read, whom he had first noticed on the day of his arrival in Philadelphia. Together they raised three children: William (Franklin's son from a previous relationship), Francis (who died of smallpox at age four), and Sarah.

Philadelphia Residence

Franklin lived in Philadelphia for most of his adult life, from his arrival in 1723 until his death in 1790, though with significant periods abroad. He resided in London as a colonial agent from 1757-1762 and 1764-1775, and served as ambassador to France from 1778-1785. His Philadelphia home was located on what is now Franklin Court, between Market and Chestnut Streets, where he lived from 1763 until his death.

Civic Institutions

Franklin's civic contributions to Philadelphia were extraordinary. He founded or helped establish numerous institutions that continue to serve the city today:

Library Company of Philadelphia (1731)

Recognizing that by pooling resources, members could afford to buy books from England that none could purchase individually, Franklin founded America's first subscription library. The Library Company still operates today as an independent research library.

Union Fire Company (1736)

Franklin organized Philadelphia's first fire company, establishing the model of volunteer fire departments that would spread throughout colonial America.

American Philosophical Society (1743)

Franklin founded this learned society to promote scientific inquiry, making it the oldest such organization in the United States. The society still occupies its original home on Independence Square.

University of Pennsylvania (1749)

Franklin's proposal for an "Academy of Philadelphia" led to the establishment of what would become the University of Pennsylvania, the first institution of higher learning in America to offer a practical curriculum alongside classical studies. Penn remains one of the nation's premier universities and a major Philadelphia employer.

Pennsylvania Hospital (1751)

Working with Dr. Thomas Bond, Franklin helped establish Pennsylvania Hospital, the first hospital in the American colonies. Franklin's fundraising genius—matching private donations with public funds—created a model still used in philanthropy today.

Insurance Company

Franklin helped establish the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire (1752), the oldest property insurance company in the United States.

Inventions

Franklin's inventions reflected his practical nature and desire to improve daily life:

Lightning Rod

His most famous invention, the lightning rod, arose from his electrical experiments and saved countless buildings from fire. Franklin never patented the device, believing that inventions benefiting humanity should be freely shared.

Bifocals

Tired of switching between two pairs of glasses for reading and distance vision, Franklin invented bifocal lenses by cutting two lenses in half and combining them in a single frame.

Franklin Stove

This iron-lined fireplace, also called the Pennsylvania Fireplace, produced more heat with less fuel than traditional fireplaces and improved home heating safety.

Other Inventions

Franklin also invented the glass armonica (a musical instrument), the flexible urinary catheter, swim fins, and the odometer. He created the first map of the Gulf Stream based on observations during his Atlantic crossings.

The Kite Experiment

The popular image of Franklin flying a kite in a thunderstorm is somewhat simplified, though the experiment did occur. In June 1752, Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment to prove that lightning was electrical in nature. Rather than waiting for lightning to strike the kite directly (which would have been fatal), Franklin flew the kite during a storm and observed that the hemp string conducted ambient electrical charge to a key tied near his hand, causing sparks.

The experiment—conducted before Franklin heard that French scientists had already proven his theory using a different method—confirmed that lightning was indeed electricity and led directly to his invention of the lightning rod. The experiment brought Franklin international fame and the Royal Society's Copley Medal.

Role as a Founding Father

Declaration of Independence

Benjamin Franklin signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776. At 70 years old, he was the oldest signer. According to tradition, when John Hancock urged the delegates to sign unanimously, Franklin replied, "We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."

Franklin served on the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration, along with Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Though Jefferson was the primary author, Franklin contributed revisions and helped shepherd the document through Congress.

Constitutional Convention

At 81, Franklin was the oldest delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 at Independence Hall. Though too frail to stand for long speeches, he contributed significantly to the proceedings and famously urged the delegates to sign the Constitution despite any reservations, noting his own uncertainty about whether the rising sun carved on George Washington's chair was rising or setting—and concluding it was indeed a rising sun.

Diplomatic Service

Franklin's greatest diplomatic achievement was securing French support for American independence. As ambassador to France from 1778-1785, he negotiated the Treaty of Alliance (1778) and the Treaty of Paris (1783), which ended the Revolutionary War and secured British recognition of American independence.

Daylight Saving Time Myth

Franklin did not invent daylight saving time. In a 1784 satirical essay written while in Paris, he jokingly suggested that Parisians could save money on candles by rising earlier to take advantage of morning sunlight. The essay, titled "An Economical Project," is often cited as the origin of daylight saving time, but Franklin's proposal was satirical—he suggested ringing church bells and firing cannons at dawn to wake people up, and taxing window shutters. Modern daylight saving time was not seriously proposed until 1895 and not widely implemented until World War I.

Fame and Achievements

Franklin achieved fame in multiple fields:

• Science: His electrical experiments, particularly proving that lightning was electricity, made him one of the most famous scientists in the world
• Invention: The lightning rod, bifocals, and Franklin stove improved countless lives
• Writing: Poor Richard's Almanack and his autobiography remain classics of American literature
• Diplomacy: Securing French support was crucial to American independence
• Civic Leadership: His institutions—library, university, hospital, fire company—shaped Philadelphia and American civic life
• Founding Father: He was the only person to sign all four foundational documents of the United States

Contributions to Philadelphia

Franklin transformed Philadelphia from a colonial town into America's leading city. His printing business and publications made it a center of information and ideas. His civic institutions—the library, hospital, university, fire company, and insurance company—provided models replicated throughout the colonies. His scientific work brought international attention to Philadelphia, and his diplomatic achievements secured the independence that allowed the city to serve as the nation's first capital.

Today, Franklin's name and image are everywhere in Philadelphia: on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Franklin Institute science museum, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and countless businesses and organizations.

Death and Burial

Benjamin Franklin is buried at Christ Church Burial Ground, located at 5th and Arch Streets in Center City, diagonally across from the National Constitution Center. Franklin died on April 17, 1790, at age 84, and over 20,000 people attended his funeral—the largest gathering Philadelphia had ever seen.

Franklin is buried alongside his wife Deborah (d. 1774) and their son Francis (d. 1736). The simple gray marble slab bears only the inscription "Benjamin and Deborah Franklin, 1790." A long-standing tradition invites visitors to toss pennies onto the grave—a nod to Franklin's famous adage about saving pennies.

The burial ground is open to visitors daily (small admission fee) and includes the graves of five Declaration signers. When the grounds are closed, Franklin's grave remains visible through iron rails at the corner of 5th and Arch Streets.

Benjamin Franklin Museum

The Benjamin Franklin Museum is located at Franklin Court, 317 Chestnut Street, between 3rd and 4th Streets in Old City. The museum occupies the site where Franklin lived from 1763 until his death.

Visiting Information

• Address: 317 Chestnut Street (enter through Franklin Court Courtyard from Market or Chestnut Street)
• Hours: Daily 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Admission: $5 adults, $2 children (4-16), free for children under 4
• Free Days (2025): January 20, April 19, June 19, August 4, September 27, November 11

The museum features interactive exhibitions, personal artifacts, computer animations, and hands-on displays exploring Franklin's life and legacy. Franklin Court also includes a "ghost structure" outlining the footprint of Franklin's original house (demolished in 1812), archaeological remnants, a working post office, and a reconstructed 18th-century printing office.

Later Life and Legacy

After returning from France in 1785, the 79-year-old Franklin served three one-year terms as President of Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council—effectively the state's governor. In 1787, he became president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, publicly reversing the position he had held earlier in life when he had owned enslaved people and published slave advertisements in his newspaper.

Franklin spent his final years at his Philadelphia home, suffering from gout and kidney stones but remaining intellectually active. He died on April 17, 1790, three months after his 84th birthday. His will provided for the City of Philadelphia and the City of Boston to receive £1,000 each, with instructions to lend the money at interest for 200 years—a gift that eventually provided millions for public works in both cities.

See Also

• Independence Hall
• University of Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania Hospital
• Franklin Court
• Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• Christ Church Burial Ground
• American Philosophical Society

External Links

• Benjamin Franklin Museum - National Park Service
• The Franklin Institute
• Library Company of Philadelphia
• American Philosophical Society