Violet N.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

                   I am going to talk about the amazing Benjamin Franklin.

     Ben was extremely smart and had many jobs. He was a statesman, a scientist, an inventor, an author,a printer,and took part in the French and Indian War. Ben was born on January 17,1706. He was born on 17 Milk Street in Boston, Massachusetts. Ben's family was very large. He was number fifteen in a family with seventeen children. Four of the children died young. Seven were half siblings from his Father’s previous marriage. His parents, Josiah and Abiah Franklin were not rich. Josiah ran a shop called the Blue Ball. He made candles and soap which were sold at the shop.  Next to the shop was the family home. It had two rooms upstairs and two downstairs.Young Ben shared a room with a few of his brothers. Josiah and Abiah wanted Ben to become a minister, but Ben had two strikes against him. First, he had been born on a Sunday. Many people believed that a Sunday baby was a child of the devil. Also, he was left-handed. People thought  to be another mark of the devil. His father punished Ben when he caught him throwing a ball or writing with his left hand. Also he was a smart aleck and that got him in trouble quite often. Ben went to school for only two years. He started at eight and ended at ten. He went to South Grammar School. The next year he went to George Brownell’s English School. Ben loved to read and writing poetry. He also loved the outdoors. Swimming and kite-flying were his favorite sports. Ben decided to become a sailor when he grew up. His parents decided that Ben must become an apprentice. This was common for boys in colonial days.  He was a printer for his brother James and eventually was a successful editor  from 1718-1723. When he was seventeen he went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A runaway apprentice could be punished if they were caught. Ben became wealthy when he wrote The Poor Man’s Almanac.  

      Soon Ben found love.  He wanted to marry Deborah Read. Instead he had a child with another woman. The kids name was William Franklin. He was born in 1730 or 1731. Ben wanted to raise the boy. Ben raised the boy without the child’s mother.  Meanwhile Debby had married another man while Ben was in England. The man left Debby.  Soon Ben and Debby reconnected. On September 1, 1730, they had a common-law wedding. This meant that they would live as husband and wife without a legal ceremony. Debby would also treat William as her son. Later they had two children .Francis Folger Franklin was born on October 1732. He died of smallpox at the age of four. Sarah Franklin was born in 1743. Debby called Ben ”Pappy”.  In December 19, 1774 Debby died of a stroke at age 66.  Ben was heart broken especially since his son William thought that Ben killed her.

      By 1749, Ben retired from business and started concentrating on science, experiments, and inventions.  Ben invented so many different things and was ahead of his time.  Some of his inventions were electricity, bifocals, Franklin Stove to just name a few.   In 1776, Ben signed The Declaration of Independence because he wanted America to be freed from England.  Ben was often called the "First American."  He signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787. In 1785, Ben was elected governor of Pennsylvania. In 1788 he wasn’t governor anymore. He died on April 17, 1790 at the age 84. 20,000 people attended the funeral of the man who was called “the harmonious human multitude.”

     Ben Franklin lead a long life.  His legacy lives on in his inventions and his fight for a free country.  After death he could be seen on the $100 dollar bill showing the impact he had on this country.  Ben Franklin had many famous quotes, he lived his life to the fullest.  My favorite quote by him was “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today”.

   That’s all the good stuff about, the amazing Benjamin Franklin.

Declaration of Independence signed by Ben Franklin