Thomas Jefferson
Search results
Benjamin Franklin FRS FRSA FRSE (January 17, 1706 [O.S. January 6, 1705] – April 17, 1790) was an American polymath, a leading writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher.
- Josiah Franklin
Josiah Franklin Sr. (December 23, 1657 – January 16, 1745)...
- Sarah Franklin Bache
Sarah Franklin Bache (September 11, 1743 – October 5, 1808),...
- Hellfire Club
Portrait of Francis Dashwood by William Hogarth from the...
- Deborah Read
Deborah Read Franklin (c. 1708 – December 19, 1774) was the...
- Joseph Duplessis
Early life. He was born in Carpentras, near Avignon, into a...
- Thomas Mifflin
Thomas Mifflin (January 10, 1744 – January 20, 1800) was an...
- Josiah Franklin
- Benjamin Franklin’s Early Years
- Benjamin Franklin: Printer and Publisher
- Benjamin Franklin and Philadelphia
- Benjamin Franklin's Inventions
- Benjamin Franklin and The American Revolution
- Benjamin Franklin’s Later Years
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in colonial Boston. His father, Josiah Franklin (1657-1745), a native of England, was a candle and soap maker who married twice and had 17 children. Franklin’s mother was Abiah Folger (1667-1752) of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Josiah’s second wife. Franklin was the eighth of Abiah and Josiah’s 10 offspr...
Benjamin Franklin returned to Philadelphia in 1726, and two years later opened a printing shop. The business became highly successful producing a range of materials, including government pamphlets, books and currency. In 1729, Franklin became the owner and publisher of a colonial newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, which proved popular—and to whic...
As Franklin’s printing business prospered, he became increasingly involved in civic affairs. Starting in the 1730s, he helped establish a number of community organizations in Philadelphia, including a lending library (it was founded in 1731, a time when books weren’t widely available in the colonies, and remained the largest U.S. public library unt...
In 1748, Franklin, then 42 years old, had expanded his printing business throughout the colonies and become successful enough to stop working. Retirement allowed him to concentrate on public service and also pursue more fully his longtime interest in science. In the 1740s, he conducted experiments that contributed to the understanding of electricit...
In 1754, at a meeting of colonial representatives in Albany, New York, Franklin proposed a plan for uniting the colonies under a national congress. Although his Albany Plan was rejected, it helped lay the groundwork for the Articles of Confederation, which became the first constitution of the United States when ratified in 1781. In 1757, Franklin t...
In 1785, Franklin left France and returned once again to Philadelphia. In 1787, he was a Pennsylvania delegate to the Constitutional Convention. (The 81-year-old Franklin was the convention’s oldest delegate.) At the end of the convention, in September 1787, he urged his fellow delegates to support the heavily debated new document. The U.S. Constit...
Learn about Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, who signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Find out about his life, achievements, inventions and role in the American Revolution.
- Missy Sullivan
- 2 min
Dec 10, 2020 · Learn about Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers who never served as president but was a polymath, inventor, scientist and diplomat. Find out his achievements, inventions, quotes, family and death.
- editor@biography.com
- Staff Editorial Team And Contributors
4 days ago · May 16, 2024, 2:13 AM ET (Smithsonian Magazine) Benjamin Franklin Was the Nation's First Newsman. Top Questions.
- What was Benjamin Franklin’s early life like?Benjamin Franklin was born the 10th son of the 17 children of a man who made soap and candles, one of the lowliest of the artisan crafts. He learne...
- What did Benjamin Franklin do?Benjamin Franklin was a printer, publisher, author, inventor, scientist, and diplomat. One of the foremost of the Founding Fathers, he helped draft...
- What did Benjamin Franklin discover?Benjamin Franklin made important scientific contributions regarding the nature of electricity. Among his findings was the fact that the positive an...
- Should the United States keep Daylight Saving Time as first whimsically suggested by Benjamin Frankl...Whether the United States keep Daylight Saving Time as first whimsically suggested by Benjamin Franklin is widely debated. Some say the longer dayl...
Learn about the life and achievements of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Read about his role in the American Revolution, his diplomatic missions, his scientific discoveries, and his political career.
Benjamin Franklin, American printer and publisher, author, inventor and scientist, and diplomat. One of the foremost of the American Founding Fathers, he helped draft the Declaration of Independence. He also made important contributions to science, especially in the understanding of technology.
People also ask
What did Dr Franklin do?
Who were Benjamin Franklin parents?
Who was Benjamin Franklin?
Why was Benjamin Franklin important?
Oct 16, 2023 · Learn about Benjamin Franklin, a Founding Father, printer, scientist, inventor, diplomat, and statesman. He was not a president, but he played a key role in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the French alliance.
